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Youth Empowerment Summit discusses climate change, role of youth

HYDERABAD: On the second day of the Youth Empowerment Summit Sindh, organized by the Department of Sports and Youth Affairs, Government of Sindh, an important session was held on climate change and the role of youth. Experts highlighted the environmental challenges facing the country and urged young people to play an active role in finding solutions and promoting social justice. Renowned environmentalist from Sindh, Naseer Memon, while discussing the serious impacts of climate change, said, 'At present, this is the country's biggest issue.' He warned that due to climate change, our natural wildlife such as parrots, sparrows, jungle babblers, honey bees, and trees are rapidly disappearing, and the intensity of climatic events has increased. Naseer Memon also identified rapid population growth as a major contributor to climate change and emphasized the urgent need for a nationwide campaign to address it. 'Planting trees is a virtue, cutting them down is cruelty,' he stressed, adding that just like the campaigns against controversial canals, there should also be movements against tree cutting. He blamed the rising heat in Karachi on concrete buildings and stated that 'we must change our way of living.' Climate and environmental journalist Shabina Faraz, responding to questions from youth, said, 'Young people are the real asset of our country and by recognizing their power, and they can bring significant change.' She encouraged youth to raise strong voices on climate change through social and digital media. She further stated that 'just as people united on the issue of controversial canals, the same spirit is needed to combat climate change.' She also highlighted vehicle emissions as a major environmental issue. Javed Soz Halai spoke about the harmful effects of plastic usage, stating that Pakistan ranks 10th in the world for plastic consumption, which is a major cause of climate change. He urged people to stop using plastic bags and bottles, and instead opt for cloth bags and glass bottles. He emphasized the urgent need for climate justice in Pakistan and called on the government to introduce policies to tackle climate change effectively. Speakers agreed that around the world, people are returning to traditional and eco-friendly practices such as using clay utensils and date-palm bags to counter climate change. They asserted that the state is a servant of the people and must protect them from the adverse effects of climate change. A special session was also held on gender inclusivity titled 'Without Gender Discrimination (Trans-gender)', which focused on the challenges faced by the transgender community. Transgender rights activist and Aurat March founder Shehzadi discussed the long-standing issues faced by the community. Referring to historical examples, she said that the rulers of the former Khairpur state had allocated large tracts of land to transgenders. Shehzadi shared that after a long struggle; she was allowed to get a national identity card in 2009. She expressed regret that although NGOs receive huge funds in the name of transgenders, those resources are rarely spent on them. She added that today, transgenders involved in sex work are thriving, while educated ones remain unemployed and distressed. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025