CLIMATE AND YOUTH: "Promoters of new ideas and sustainability"

In the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies "Prof. Dr Zdravko Grebo" of the University of Sarajevo, from July 1 to 5, the Summer School "Climate Change and Air Pollution" is being held for college students and high school graduates from all over Bosnia and Herzegovina in partnership with UNICEF Bosnia and Herzegovina and with the financial support of the Kingdom of Sweden.

At the opening of the Summer School, the representative of UNICEF in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Marc Lucet, pointed out that climate change has a huge impact on children:

"UNICEF is doing research around the world developing a special climate change risk index for children, and it is estimated that one billion children are directly exposed to climate change, with a direct impact on their lives. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as in the rest of the Western Balkans, the risk of climate change is associated with extreme heat waves that especially affect children, as well as with other extreme weather hazards. I believe that you are all old enough to remember the great floods of 2014, but such floods are even more likely in the future, and that is why it is important to act on time", said Marc Lucet, underlining the problem of air pollution, which in Bosnia and Herzegovina is among the biggest in Europe, it directly affects children, pregnant women, and as a result of which 300,000 people die prematurely every year.

"Because of all the factors mentioned earlier, it is essential to familiarize yourself with these topics as much as possible, and we at UNICEF believe that working with young people is probably one of the best ways to build a better future. We are also working with the authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina to advocate for public policies that would support changes in the way of heating in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which unfortunately often relies on fossil energy and coal, and that should stop," states Lucet, adding that work is also being done to establish disaster risk reduction system puts the child at the centre of planning.

The Summer School program was developed with the support of UNICEF in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is intended for young people who want to expand their knowledge about climate change and its impact on the environment and society. It covers various aspects of climate change and air pollution, through an interdisciplinary approach in dealing with climate challenges. Nejla Buljina, a student at the UNSA Faculty of Electrical Engineering, says that it was this approach that attracted her to apply:

"It is my pleasure to be at this summer school because I have the opportunity to hear experts from different fields who talk about this and similar topics from their perspective on the topic of climate change and environmental pollution."

Tina Tadić, a student at the UNSA Faculty of Agriculture and Food, believes that the Summer School will be an experience that will help her improve her previous knowledge and discover new acquaintances and experiences:

"During the past semester, we talked a lot about climate change and the very importance of this topic, and that's why I decided to apply for the Summer School. I believe that it is very important that young people, both at my and other faculties, deal with this topic, about which we should all know a lot more because we are dealing specifically with climate change, and we should raise awareness and information about climate change as much as possible. changes".

After the theoretical part, in which they will listen to lectures by professors from several faculties and different aspects, and participate in interactive workshops and discussions, participants will have the opportunity to visit the Skakavac protected area and learn about the wealth of natural resources in this area.

"They will have the opportunity to hear 12 experts from different fields and five experts from practice. I hope we will all hear and learn something new. Recognizing the importance of this topic, the University of Sarajevo is trying to encourage young people to continue with these activities when they return to their communities, and to be promoters of new ideas and sustainability in their communities," says the head of the Summer School, prof. Ph.D. Emina Hadžić, while UNSA vice-rector for teaching and student affairs prof. Ph.D. Dženana Husremović especially emphasizes the importance of sustainability:

"The University of Sarajevo sees sustainability, and everything related to sustainability, as incredibly important for our future. It is our desire that these topics be part of all our study programs, not only those that are typically related to sustainability because sustainability includes economic, social, ecological... and everything that we deal with. In addition, we need to have young people here, both students and high school students, who have been dedicated to this topic since their high school days."

It is planned that after the Summer School, the content will be digitized so that it will be available to other participants on the digital platform of the University of Sarajevo.