Climate smart and resilient actions
A clean, green and resilient island for every child and young person
The climate crisis is changing the planet, and it is changing children.
Children and young people in Maldives see the change in their daily lives.
In this small-island nation, children and young people are increasingly dealing with damages to homes and closed schools and play areas because of floods, extreme weather events such as heatwaves and storms and the loss of a precious island heritage.
In Maldives, young people are at the forefront of the advocacy and action in response to the climate and environmental threats. And UNICEF Maldives is by their sides providing support as they work to make their communities more resilient and sustainable in a changing climate.
Action
The UNICEF Maldives climate resiliency flagship works with governments, partners, donors and young people to advocate for and help enact climate smart policies and actions.
At its core, the flagship promotes and encourages the work of young people. It achieves this goal with three streams of action:
- Climate Guardians programme
Climate Guardians are young people dedicated to protecting the environment of their small-island nation. As a Climate Guardian, a young person receives training in design thinking and effective advocacy. They are empowered to organize and lead local climate actions and provided opportunities for climate advocacy on local, national and international platforms.
- The clean campaign
Working with Climate Guardians, UNICEF Maldives mobilizes young people, neighbours, community leaders, civil society organizations and policy makers to participate in clean up and recycling efforts.
- Advocacy
A key element of the climate resiliency flagship is advocating for clean and resilient islands. For UNICEF Maldives, this means advocating for green schools, solar power for health facilities and social services that can withstand climate and environmental crises.