U-Reporters at the heart of the new National Climate Adaptation Plan
On 24 March 2026, young people played a central role in updating the National Adaptation Plan during the U-Reporters consultation organised by UNICEF, which brought together around fifty participants.
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Around fifty young people, both in person and online (the U-Reporters from Maroua), played an active role in shaping the direction of the future strategic document.& nbsp;
This workshop, conducted in collaboration with Mr Valentin Voulon, senior consultant to the Ministry of the Environment and Sustainable Development, and several young people from environmental CSOs, marks a major step towards more inclusive and participatory climate governance.
A day of lively and constructive discussions
The event, structured around interactive sessions such as the World Café, solutions workshops and the Solutions Gallery, enabled young people to:
- Identify the key climate challenges.
- To offer innovative and tailored solutions;
- To make concrete recommendations for a more ambitious National Adaptation Plan;
- Identify mechanisms for sustainable participation in the implementation of the plan.
According to the lead consultant responsible for providing methodological support for the workshop:
“This consultation marks a turning point. We didn’t simply ask young people for their views; we gave them the tools to co-create, analyse and make proposals. Their contributions are well-structured, relevant and action-oriented. They will be incorporated into the new version of the NAP. Young people are no longer mere beneficiaries: they are co-architects of the national adaptation policy.”
At the heart of the process, the young UReporters set out clear priorities: climate education, access to green opportunities, civic engagement and the protection of vulnerable areas.
As Mylène, a 19-year-old U-Reporter based in Maroua, puts it so well:
“Climate change affects us directly: our education, our health, our daily lives… We want a National Action Plan that reflects who we are, takes our realities into account and empowers us. Today, we have put forward concrete solutions and we are keen to be involved in its implementation.”
Strong recommendations for a more ambitious National Action Plan
Among the many suggestions that emerged from the workshops, the following are worth mentioning:
- The systematic integration of climate education into school curricula.
- Support for green projects led by young people (agroecology, renewable energy, waste management);
- The establishment of a national participatory monitoring mechanism led by young people.
- A Youth Climate Fund to finance local initiatives;
- The establishment of a National Youth Climate Council.
A new lease of life for climate governance in Cameroon
The consultation marks a key milestone in the process of developing the new NAP. By giving U-Reporters a central role, Cameroon is promoting inclusion, innovation and public ownership of its climate policy.
For the partners, the task now is to turn this momentum into lasting action.
