Written by: Nuravni S. Sallons

Youth Climate Change Activists Country Representative from Suriname Caribbean Delegate from Suriname for the UN Youth Climate Summit 2019

Preface

The UN Youth Climate Summit is an assembly for young leaders who are driving climate action to showcase their solutions at the United Nations, and to implicitly engage with decision-makers on the crucial issue of our time. This event started on Saturday, September 21 2019 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, as part of a series of events leading up to the UN Secretary-General’s Climate Action Summit.

Suriname is ranked as a high-risk country with regards to the effects of climate change, because of the low-lying coastal zone which is vulnerable to sea-level rise. Furthermore, the country’s average temperatures are rising as well. Suriname is the greenest country in the world, with a forest coverage of 93%. Even though Suriname is a carbon sink country, the country still experiences the effects of the changing climate. Therefore, important action must be taken in order to combat the crisis. We need to implement adaptation and mitigation measures, as well as continue to raise awareness.

The Youth Climate Summit offered the youth the perfect opportunity to learn from other youth leaders, entrepreneurs, activists, change-makers, and to discuss the challenges they face during the process.

As a citizen of Suriname, climate change researcher and country representative for the Youth Climate Change Activists, Nuravni Sallons feels responsible to pursue the work that goes toward combating climate change. That is why she applied for the ‘green ticket’ to be eligible for selection. On the 20th of August she received an invitation letter from the United Nations to attend the UN Youth Climate Summit 2019 in New York.

UNDP Barbados & OECS and Japan Caribbean Climate Change Partnership (JCCCP) offered to fund her and 10 other Caribbean Youth Delegates to attend the climate summit in New York. These youth delegates are also the key persons of the Caribbean Movement, Youth Climate Change Activists. The UNDP and Japan Caribbean Climate Change Partnership (JCCCP) executed many impactful climate change mitigation and adaptation projects in the Caribbean region. Their goal is to make the Caribbean residents’ climate resilient.

In preparation for the climate summit, a lot of pre-summit activities were organized by the youth delegates in the respective Caribbean countries and islands, as well as in Suriname.

Pre-summit Satellite Event

Worldwide, different youth-led, climate change, satellite events were organized to build momentum for the UN Youth Climate Summit 2019. Suriname’s youth delegate, Ms. Nuravni took the initiative to organize a satellite event in Paramaribo, the capital of Suriname. Paramaribo has a population of 240.924 inhabitants. In Suriname, they speak different languages, but Dutch is the official language, and Sranan Tongo is the second most spoken language. 

On the 14th of September 2019, the POP-UP event took place, “Unu no abi furu ten, Meki Wi Ala Bondru en Feti Klimaatverandering!” in Domineestraat, a well-known street in downtown Paramaribo. This was a one-day event, from 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., where knowledge sharing and data collection were the main activities. This event was sustainable, low carbon, low waste, and meals were all plant-based.

“Unu no abi furu ten, Meki Wi Ala Bondru en Feti Klimaatverandering” is the slogan in Sranan Tongo. It  means: There is not much time left, let’s get together and fight climate change. Two weeks prior to this event, an online survey was launched to collect baseline data about the ‘level of climate change knowledge’ in Suriname.

The following low budget activities took place during the satellite event: Q&A surveys for data collection; sharing information about climate change in Suriname; climate change in general; the UN Youth Climate Summit 2019; and the exposure of different social media platforms. These activities were carried out with the assistance from volunteers and young dedicated citizens Bernhard Doekoe, Sanisha Autar, and Chayenne Fräser.

In this event, 53 persons were surveyed; 75 persons were given climate change information; and for the online survey, 185 people responded.

The collected data was then used as a foundation by Ms. Nuravni for her attendance at the UN Youth Climate Summit 2019. Furthermore, the collected data will be thoroughly analyzed and used for future climate action projects in collaboration with the team.

This event was created with great support and assistance from Bernhard Doekoe, and through cooperation between the organizations Aurae Opus Foundation, Suriname America Alumni Association, Youth Climate Change Activists, JCCCP and UNDP.

UN Youth Climate Summit 2019

The UN Youth Climate Summit 2019 was organized for the first time. Attendance at this historical event, which included committed Caribbean youth delegates, was beyond expectations. Knowledge-sharing and networking with international youth delegates were the key activities at the summit.

The Caribbean region is at the front line of climate change due to the sea level rising. It is important for the Caribbean region to get the dignified acknowledgment in climate negotiations and climate finance. To get recognition, intensified youth-led climate actions are therefore very important.

SIDS – on the Front lines 

On Saturday the 21st of September, at a summit side event Nuravni Sallons (Suriname), Jhannel Tomlinson (Jamaica), Michael Morgan (Jamaica), Jevanic Henry (St. Lucia) and Dominique Noralez (Belize) represented the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) at a panel discussion organized by the SDG Action Media Zone. Danni Washington, the moderator, and the first African American science TV host in the US, discussed climate finance, and the different youth-led climate actions in the respective countries.

Climate talks at Google Headquarter

Nuravni Sallons (Suriname), Shanika John (St. Vincent and the Grenadines) and Jevanic Henry (St. Lucia) were being interviewed by Alfred Gill at the Google Headquarters in New York on Monday the 23rd of September 2019. They discussed the climate issues that the Caribbean faces, sustainable development, economic growth and what needs to be done to solve these issues.

Climate finance is not easily accessible for the Caribbean region, because of its developing status, which makes it difficult to become climate resilient. Suriname is a member of the SIDS because of their low-lying coastal zone area, which is very vulnerable to the rising sea level. 80 percent of the population is concentrated in this area, and therefore at high risk. Immediate climate action is crucial. For this reason, climate finance needs to become accessible to the Caribbean region, and to Suriname as well.

Taking back home

The Youth Caribbean delegation has been able to make contact with prominent influential people, who have offered to support the YCCA movement’s mission. This is a sign that the movement is on the right path.

There is still a lot of work that needs to be done in Suriname, when it comes to climate change. Climate change awareness activities, climate education, coastal zone protection, climate research, adaptation, mitigation and forest protection are the most important climate actions for Suriname.

The temperatures in Suriname are rising steadily and will continue to do so. This expansion can be compared with the “boiling-frog-principle”; steadily rising temperatures are not easily recognized, till the tipping points are exceeded and there is no going back. Till now, for Suriname, the tipping points are not yet determined and therefore unknown. That is why climate research is very essential.

To carry out awareness activities, coastal zone protection, climate research, adaptation and mitigation measures, and forest protection, climate finance is of utmost importance. To access climate finance, it is important to educate the youth about project management, budgeting and strategic thinking. For now, the next step is to develop a strategy to easily access the different funds and climate knowledge platforms.

As the country representative of the Youth Climate Change Activists, Ms. Nuravni Sallons will make herself strong for climate change research, sustainable living, awareness activities and strategic planning.

Finally, as the Caribbean Youth, we can demand the change we wish to see in the world. Together we can achieve more, so let us get together, sharpen our strengths and conscience, and combat climate change. The future is ours.