A Milestone of youth Participation in High-Level meetings in ASEAN

ASEAN Youth Representative Join Regional Meeting on Biodiversity

06/22/2023

After 33 years of meetings of the ASEAN Working Group on Nature Conservation and Biodiversity (AWGNCB), youth representatives were invited for the first time to discuss biodiversity issues with environmental officials from the ASEAN Member States (AMS). Selected youth from five ASEAN countries shared their experience in biodiversity conservation and management and presented their ideas about how youth can be meaningfully involved in biodiversity discussions at the ASEAN level.

The AWGNCB was established by ASEAN leaders to intensify cooperation in addressing problems associated with the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity, and further strengthen regional coordination and collaboration in addressing issues related to biodiversity. The AWGNCB meets annually and is part of a broader institutional framework of cooperation on the environment of the ASEAN Secretariat. It is a technical advisory body to the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB). The AWGNCB also monitors and develops a joint ASEAN stand, where applicable, on international and regional conventions and agreements related to nature conservation and Biodiversity.

This year, the 33^rd AWGNCB Meeting was held in Manila, Philippines from 20-21 June 2023. Hanns Seidel Foundation (HSF), together with the ACB, supported six youths from Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Singapore to attend and participate in the open session of the 33^rd AWGNCB Meeting. The activity was an opportunity for the selected youth representatives who had previously been trained through the Youth Biodiversity Leaders (YBL) programme to engage directly with their decision-makers on biodiversity issues. The YBL programme is one part of a youth programme by the ACB called the ASEAN Youth Biodiversity Programme (AYBP) which aims to empower the next generation to contribute to formulating and implementing biodiversity policies at all levels. One of the objectives of the AYBP is to "capacitate ASEAN youth to be able to understand and engage in biodiversity decision-making at national and regional levels."

There was a notable synergy and effective communication between the youth delegates and the representatives of the AMS. The youth were actively engaged in discussions regarding biodiversity, environmental decision-making processes, and climate change at the ASEAN level, and the AMS expressed their appreciation for the youth's participation and welcomed their valuable contributions. The dialogue with the youth continued during the informal agenda, and the AMS conveyed their openness to providing continued opportunities and support for the youth's involvement in such discussions.

For the youth, being able to attend the meeting helped them to better understand biodiversity policy processes in the region and related decision-making processes at the ASEAN level.
 

Quote by the Youth representative:

Tay Li Si from Singapore remarked: "Through this experience, I definitely feel more ready than before this trip. This experience has taught me the importance of certain protocols when engaging in decisions that might have political implications. At the same time, it has also taught me the importance of seeking opportunities for networking because sometimes the actual work is done when you are not working".

Hjh Siti Norfarwizah Hj Mohd Ja'afar, Youth representative from Brunei Darussalam, stated: "The meeting has helped me think about how to approach policymakers and introduce ideas for future collaborations. I observed that the ASEAN delegates shared impactful projects that Youth can definitely participate in and contribute to if we are given the opportunities - we need to be heard and seen. After the meeting, I am very interested in how the event is conducted. I am impressed by the flow of the program and agenda. Having me in the same situation with the AMS and country delegates, I feel motivated to continue progressing my projects."

 

YSAN Brings South Asia’s Experts Together To Share Solutions Towards Region’s Air Pollution Crisis

Author: Mavra Bari (YSAN Fellow)

 

11/10/23

Countries and people in South Asia have a lot in common - a shared history; culture, from culinary to customary. South Asia is a rich, vibrant, and diverse tapestry but some shared realities in South Asia are banes, not boons. Air pollution is one such pervasive issue faced by most countries in the region. Urban centers from Kathmandu to Lahore are choked by smog each winter, as annual emissions get trapped in cold air pockets, dimming visibility and leading to ripple impacts in terms of citizen health and well-being. Smog is wrongly considered a seasonal issue. A prevalent misconception is that air pollution, i.e. “smog” is a seasonal health risk, however countries produce the same number of emissions all year round but the difference is that in winter months, air does not rise so the pollutants become visible. To prevent smog, the causes of air pollution have to be addressed every day of the year by governments, citizens, corporations, and the milieu of the city.

 

Towards Shared Solutions

In 202, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and India have been ranked as the third, fifth, and eighth most polluted countries in the world respectively. [1] (https://www.iqair.com/world-most-polluted-countries) The region is home to 37 out of the 40 most polluted cities in the world, with 60 percent of the region’s population living in areas that exceed the WHO air quality standards. According to estimates, air pollution causes two million premature deaths in the region annually. It has also become a leading cause of many non-communicable health risks including respiratory diseases, reduced cognitive development, ischemic heart disease, lung cancer, strokes, and type II diabetes. Additionally, it is reported to have a correlation to dementia in the elderly population of the region. [2] (https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/air-pollution-linked-dementia-cases)

This transboundary crisis is a shared reality, so solutions also need to be innovated collectively and shared across borders to improve the lives of citizens, enabling them to breathe easily and preventing countries from falling further into health, social, and economic crises. In addition to driving up healthcare costs, and resultantly burdening the economy, air pollution is causing economic losses due to loss of productivity.

Against this backdrop, the first cohort of the Young South Asian Network (YSAN) of Hanns Seidel Foundation (HSF) organized an online Dialogue titled ‘Tackling Air Pollution in South Asia: Mobilizing for Change’ to deliberate on a solution-oriented and socially-just approach to tackling the pressing issue of air pollution in the South Asia region. The session also addressed the role of the local urban bodies and the significance of eco-innovation as a catalyst in effectively improving air quality. The event provided an interactive platform for more than 50 participants from diverse backgrounds, including academia, research, and development, to collectively address the multifaceted challenges posed by air pollution and to discuss effective strategies and innovations that can lead to meaningful change. 

The event started with the welcome remarks from Mr. Stefan Burkhardt, Head of Division South/ Southeast Asia, Hanns Seidel Foundation (HSF). Stefan shared how HSF has brought together young and promising future leaders from across South Asia through Young South Asia Network (YSAN) to conduct a multilateral discourse on common challenges. He further commented that “To tackle the massive issue of air pollution in South Asia, solutions have to be innovative and socially-just.

YSAN Fellow, Ayesha Majid, who is a Program Coordinator at the Institute of Urbanism eloquently outlined the session’s objectives, which was to provide a broad overview and cross-country and cross-institution perspectives on air pollution and responses to prevailing challenges, possible solutions, implementations, and  strategies in South Asia region. It featured  case study presentations by YSAN fellows, unveiling a  practical action plan for tackling the massive issue of air pollution in the region as well as the  interactive discussion among the participants and experts on the topic in breakout sessions. 

Ayesha stressed the importance of youth’s involvement in problem solving, saying, “Youth’s role is crucial as their quality of life is intricately linked to how we are collectively able to tackle this challenge. This session is aimed at fostering dialogue among youth and to learn from each other how countries in South Asia can stop topping the list of most polluted countries in the world.”

Case Studies and Success Stories: Working Together for Cleaner Air

YSAN Fellows then ensued on presenting case studies on air pollution from their respective cities in the region. First up was Raghavendra Mahto, Co-Founder at Dokos Recyclers Pvt Ltd, Kathmandu who presented several case studies and success stories from Nepal and India. One case study focused on the Nepal Rural Mountain Waste Management. 

As Raghavendra is a waste management practitioner he shared that “Domestic waste burning is predominant in South Asia and Africa and is becoming a significant problem for waste management. Due to insufficient waste management systems such as landfills that are not designed to capture methane and other pollutants”.

He touted source segregation as fundamental and noted that only with this practice can we solve South Asia’s multifaceted pollution problem. He presented a case study of Indore in India to illustrate his point.

Another pertinent tenet of waste management, Raghavendra elaborated was ‘Extended Producer Responsibility’ which is enforced upon companies who are responsible for collecting and manage the waste they produce. He noted that while Nepal is in phase 1 of EPR, India is in phase 2 in certain areas and the EU is a true circular economy.

It was followed by a presentation by Ayesha Majid, who presented the nexus of air pollution and transportation in Lahore, Pakistan. Among others, she suggested the following solutions to revamp transportation in major cities in Pakistan:

• Expansion of public transport
• Electrification of two & three wheelers
• Fines imposed on smoke emitting vehicles
• Fuel adulteration monitoring
• Removal of traffic barriers during smog

She also stressed the importance of increasing green cover to make cities more walkable and cyclable for citizens, in addition to advocating for government-led solutions.

She pointed out that while Electric Vehicles are an integral part of the clean energy transition in transport for adaptation and mitigation to the climate crisis, “Government needs proper channels for e-waste disposal. Phasing out of combustible engine cars needs to be done in a socially just manner before blanket bans are placed that can lead to green gentrification.”

She noted that the trifecta of policy change with eco-driving alternatives with digital solutions can be meaningful ways and metrics to cut emissions and lead to more sustainability and better health.

Lastly, Mehak Dudeja, Program Associate at Air Pollution Action Group (A-PAG) presented her case study on air pollution in New Delhi and highlighted what the government is doing to tackle air pollution.

She commended the city’s Graded Action Plan (GRAP): An emergency response mechanism based on AQI level of Delhi that has helped disaster mitigation and risk reduction in the city. She also shared the following positive measures:

• Installation of CAAQMS (Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Station)
• Water sprinkling on roads
• Greening ; vertical greening of pillars and flyover greening
• Deployment of safeguards during C&Dand fining of violators
• Prevention of biomass burning : Deployment of env marshalls
• Paving of road & roadsides

Mehak also elaborated the role the Government, particularly the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) in mitigating air pollution. “These kinds of local government reinforcements can have a really positive impact on citizen action and awareness as well as it is on a more grassroots level. These are available for a citizen who can the decide what kind of impacts they want to make in terms of citizen engagement in the city,” said Mehak.

ULBs and citizens are doing the following in New Delhi:

• Removal of garbage
• Prevention of waste burning
• Removing sand piled on roadsides
• Partnering with NGOs and engaging volunteers for issue identification.
• Empowering volunteers as area leaders in meetings to address air pollution.
• Enhancing accountability via Town hall meetings.
• Using boards and banners to highlight the costs of air pollution.
• Road repair & maintenance; including tertiary roads, unauthorised areas

Learning from Expertise: Change Starts When Communities Come Together

Deep dive sessions with experts followed presentations that were led by, Karthik Ganesan, Fellow & Director, Research Coordination, Council on Energy, Environment & Water (CEEW) and Abid Omar, Founder, Pakistan Air Quality Initiative on Policy Response to Air Pollution and Eco-innovation, respectively.

Karthik brought up the issue of the transboundary complexity of monitoring and navigating air pollution during the breakout session. He noted that as South Asia is very behind even basic air monitoring, governments need to conduct monitoring as a priority even if they do not have the means to meticulously analyze data. 

“There will be certain pockets where there will be confounding factors. Quirks of atmospheric chemistry we can address at later stages. This is a first-world problem of sorts, South Asia’s needs to start the comprehensive monitoring process at least,” said Karthik.

He also stressed that whether top-down and bottom-up governance is employed, citizen’s also need to play a crucial role. 

“It is also about the citizen's realizing what action is needed on their part to contribute to the success of policy because the government doesn’t have eyes to monitor at all levels and doesn’t have the capacity to meet all complaints,” he added.

Abid looked at the prevalent practice of crop burning in South Asia and gave the eco-innovation of the Happy Seeder as an example which is a no-till planter towed behind a tractor, that sows seeds in rows directly without and mitigates the need for crop burning. The expert noted the high-cost and difficulty in scalability of technology interventions however, and exalted non-technological solutions for developing contexts. He shared solutions such as regenerative plantation and agriculture that are much more cost-effective with fewer GHGs, and less water use and solve crop burning problems.

On the topic of air pollution, Omar noted that while some cities in South Asia have secured a notoriously noxious reputation for air pollution, even seemingly “cleaner” cities are silently suffering. He gave the example of Pakistan’s capital Islamabad and noted that the AQI is dangerous for sensitive groups and the city’s trademark hills lack visibility for half the year. He noted that clusters of brick kilns in the industrial area of Hatar is a mere 20 km from Islamabad. 

“Air pollution doesn’t know any boundaries, doesn’t see barriers between cities or countries or where pollution is coming from. So, the solutions need to come from all of us. Yesterday’s pollution builds up to today's and tomorrow’s pollution and the concentration keeps rising, visibility drops and health problems rise,” astutely shared Abid.