Engaging young people from vulnerable countries in climate action
The Asia-Pacific region is extremely vulnerable to climate change, with young people experiencing frequent, significant losses and damage to lives and livelihoods all around them (UNDP, 2022). Without their active participation, the climate crisis will only worsen. The next generation has a key role in building the movement by inspiring, encouraging and training their peers. This is where UN Volunteer Serena Bashal comes in. Her assignment responds to an urgent need for young people from vulnerable countries to participate in climate action at all levels.
Serena Bashal (United Kingdom) serves as an international UN Youth Volunteer Adolescent and Youth Environmental Engagement Coordinator with the East Asia and Pacific Regional Office (EAPRO) of the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF). She volunteered in civic climate action spaces for several years, with youth organizations and youth-led networks to UN agencies, before kick-starting her UN volunteering journey in August 2022.