The Kuwait Environment Protection Society stressed the importance of empowering youth to participate as stakeholders in confronting natural and human hazards. This came in a statement by Engineer Yousef Al-Ramzi, Vice President of the Environmental Engineers Team at the Society, during his participation in the activities of the Sixth Arab Regional Forum for Disaster Risk Reduction, which was held in Kuwait under the slogan “Building Resilient Arab Societies: From Understanding to Action.” The forum was organized by the United Nations Regional Office for Arab States for Disaster Risk Reduction and the League of Arab States, hosted by the General Fire Force of the State of Kuwait, under the patronage of the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, Sheikh Fahd Yousef Saud Al-Sabah.
Mr. Yousef Al-Ramzi participated in a side event organized by the Arab Youth Advisory Group for Disaster Risk Reduction, as part of the 6th Arab Regional Forum for Disaster Risk Reduction, entitled “Integrating Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Action in the Arab Region.” The event was moderated by Mr. Ahmed Al-Ghardagha, President of the Arab Youth Council for Climate Change, and focused on the center’s role in promoting education and capacity-building programs for Arab youth.
M. Al-Ramzi said that the event focused on the importance of integrating disaster risk reduction with climate action strategies in Arab countries. Dr. Emad Adly, the general coordinator of the Arab Network for Environment and Development “Raed”, spoke about the role of civil society organizations in achieving the goals of this integration, and Dr. Mustafa Attia spoke about the opportunities available to work towards the imperative of integrating people with disabilities into all development projects and programs and increasing their access and availability.
The intervention of the environmental engineers team from the Kuwait Environment Protection Society included a presentation by Eng. Yousef Al-Ramzi, who explained the youth experience at COP27 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, and COP28 in the United Arab Emirates, and the role of youth in the success of these events. He noted that insufficient funding prevented youth participation in COP29 in Azerbaijan, despite significant efforts. He stated, “However, youth initiatives remain crucial for achieving effective participation. Despite the funding and opportunity challenges we faced, our belief as young people in environmental issues drives us to work tirelessly to prove our vision for a better future.”.
Mr. Al-Ramzi explained that the participation in climate summits reflects the determination of Kuwaiti youth of both genders to achieve the desired goals despite all the challenges. He thanked the two members of the association, Mr. Ahmed Al-Hazim and Hadeel Al-Aradi, for their participation in those documented experiences. Thanks are also due to the Kuwait Environment Protection Society for providing a solid foundation from which to launch such international participations, as the association is the only association from Kuwait accredited by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
