One Earth:Youths For Sustainable Cities
Rita Puri, Climate Change Youth Action Leader (CCYAL) 2022
On 5th June 2022, Powershift Nepal, along with the Youth Board, led a workshop on Only “One Earth: Youths for Sustainable Cities” marking the World Environment Day. The vibration of the hall was beyond horizons and unpredictable for the full regulating Team.The workshop was set up in order to include the participants from diversified backgrounds viewing sustainable cities and role of youths to contribute to upcoming future generations by small steps together towards sustainability.
The participants were brought into two phases in the workshop: Panel Discussions followed by Group Discussions. The panel discussion yielded a floor to have a dialogue with Dr. Bhupendra Das and Kiran Joshi for the participants. Introduction on Air Pollution in Nepal led the sessions and its effects, along with the role of youths in promoting energy transitioning.The curiosity of participants formed an incredible environment for the speakers as well as organizing teams to gain knowledge and engage themselves.
Dr.Bhupendra Das,chairperson at Nepal Energy and Environment Development Services (NEEDS) said, “I am grateful to have an opportunity to interact with youths and address their queries.The discussions also gave me a platform to learn and share my experience with participants.”
Kiran Joshi,Executive Member of NCS as an Architect and Urban Planner provided participants to learn about mass Public transportation, Sustainable mobility along with climate change and sustainable cities.The context of Nepal and role of youths was well discussed and fun experience sharing at the same time. The challenges,opportunities and ways to overcome were addressed by speakers along with youths to each other.
Living updated on distinct existing plans and policies in our country is tough as locating a correct source to gather data is yet a challenge itself especially for the youths. Miss.Sagarika Bhatta,Chairperson of PowerShift Nepal introduced a session on various existing plans and policies on Climate Change in Nepal. The surprise in the participants’ faces was prodigious and the interest among the in-house team generated remarkable conversations on existing policies and plans.
Discussions are constantly prioritized over anything in a team,as it produces a floor to gain from each other,sharing and getting up to a lot of queries and concerns.The better focus should be constantly done on process rather than on output. The passive hidden outcomes are too strongful and powerful to be focused on in a workshop.The participants had a freedom to spend time with each others,learning and sharing about energy transitioning, use of clean energy, EV’s and electrification of transportation, mass public transportation, cycling/ walking, conservation of heritage & culture, green infrastructure, open spaces, etc. The workshop successfully met the agenda to strengthen the knowledge of 20+ participants on Sustainable cities.
“We are thankful to the whole team of PowerShift Nepal for bringing us together from diverse academic backgrounds and granting us the opportunity to learn and enhance knowledge on sustainable cities.” -Participant