15
ing and access to these new technologies. This is
also emerging as a period when flexibility, adaptability and unconventional work are becoming
the dominant development practice of the day
(UNDP 2015).
A shift in education and training is required to
transit youth by providing them with viable skills
and knowledge for the future. Training and skills
development is understood in broad terms to
cover the following, (a) basic education (providing the basis for youth development, laying the
groundwork for employment), (b) preliminary
training, offering core work skills, general knowledge and industry networking enabling the shift
from education to work, and (c) life-long learning contributing to the upkeep of individual skill
supply (ILO 2010). UNESCO’s Climate Change
Education for Sustainable Development
(CCESD) encompasses the above view of education and is viewed by the government as a viable
development alternative to build the resilience of
youth to adapt to the impact of climate change in
SIDS. The CCESD prepares people of all ‘walks
of life’ to plan for, cope with and find solutions
for issues that threaten their sustainability
(UNESCO 2014:16). The CCESD empowers
people to make informed decisions about “environmental integrity, economic viability and just
society for present and future generations while
respecting cultural diversity” (UNESCO
2014:20). The CCESD approach is viewed as an
enabler for sustainable development:
(a) Education systems address sustainable
issues;
(b) Sustainable development agendas and education converge.
The CCESD initiative is implemented in some
countries worldwide. While CCESD has
acclaimed credible levels of success through raising the understanding of governments and key
stakeholders through research, demonstration
projects in countries, capacity building efforts,
partnerships and networks, leading to the application of lessons learned and changes to policy and
practice, there are still challenges to be addressed
in the future. These challenges concern the need
for further alignment of education and the sustainable development sectors regarding policy and
practice, i.e. the linkages to policy and practices
are still very weak in some countries, especially in
SIDS. Therefore, more work needs to be done on
the institutionalisation of CCESD across the education system, policies and planning.
Developing a New Climate Change
Adaptation Framework for Youth
in SIDS
Researchers recognise Climate Change as one of
the possible sources of negative impact on SIDS
(Benjamin 2009; Nurse et al. 2014; IPCC 2014a,
b; Abram et al. 2019). The impact of climate
change on youth in SIDS has received little or no
attention by researchers, therefore only a very
few researchers have attempted to research the
impact of climate change on youth in small island
communities (Ogarro and Speek-Warney 2009;
Pereznieta et al. 2011). Of these limited studies
only one was focused on children (youth) in
SIDS, ‘a gap analysis on children and climate
change in the Small Island Developing States of
the Eastern Caribbean’, commissioned by
UNICEF (Ogarro and Speek-Warney 2009).
Due to the limitation of research interest on
youth and climate change in SIDS, youth remains
an underprepared sector of the population to the
impact of climate change as highlighted by Ogarro
and Speek-Warney (2009). Therefore, the issue of
climate change impact and youth development is
emerging as a necessary development discourse
for researchers and policymakers alike (Table 2.1).
Development planners, policy officials and
practitioners consider Climate change as a severe
threat to the sustainable development of SIDS,
and youth development is viewed as a critical
area of focus for the future development of
SIDS. Gaps in the body of knowledge deny policymakers and practitioners in SIDS a practical
set of tools and strategies on climate change education and adaptation strategies to prepare young
people to build their resilience to adapt to the
impact of climate change in the future (Appendix
1). Therefore, youth development and the impact
Developing a New Climate Change Adaptation Framework for Youth in SIDS
ing and access to these new technologies. This is
also emerging as a period when flexibility, adaptability and unconventional work are becoming
the dominant development practice of the day
(UNDP 2015).
A shift in education and training is required to
transit youth by providing them with viable skills
and knowledge for the future. Training and skills
development is understood in broad terms to
cover the following, (a) basic education (providing the basis for youth development, laying the
groundwork for employment), (b) preliminary
training, offering core work skills, general knowledge and industry networking enabling the shift
from education to work, and (c) life-long learning contributing to the upkeep of individual skill
supply (ILO 2010). UNESCO’s Climate Change
Education for Sustainable Development
(CCESD) encompasses the above view of education and is viewed by the government as a viable
development alternative to build the resilience of
youth to adapt to the impact of climate change in
SIDS. The CCESD prepares people of all ‘walks
of life’ to plan for, cope with and find solutions
for issues that threaten their sustainability
(UNESCO 2014:16). The CCESD empowers
people to make informed decisions about “environmental integrity, economic viability and just
society for present and future generations while
respecting cultural diversity” (UNESCO
2014:20). The CCESD approach is viewed as an
enabler for sustainable development:
(a) Education systems address sustainable
issues;
(b) Sustainable development agendas and education converge.
The CCESD initiative is implemented in some
countries worldwide. While CCESD has
acclaimed credible levels of success through raising the understanding of governments and key
stakeholders through research, demonstration
projects in countries, capacity building efforts,
partnerships and networks, leading to the application of lessons learned and changes to policy and
practice, there are still challenges to be addressed
in the future. These challenges concern the need
for further alignment of education and the sustainable development sectors regarding policy and
practice, i.e. the linkages to policy and practices
are still very weak in some countries, especially in
SIDS. Therefore, more work needs to be done on
the institutionalisation of CCESD across the education system, policies and planning.
Developing a New Climate Change
Adaptation Framework for Youth
in SIDS
Researchers recognise Climate Change as one of
the possible sources of negative impact on SIDS
(Benjamin 2009; Nurse et al. 2014; IPCC 2014a,
b; Abram et al. 2019). The impact of climate
change on youth in SIDS has received little or no
attention by researchers, therefore only a very
few researchers have attempted to research the
impact of climate change on youth in small island
communities (Ogarro and Speek-Warney 2009;
Pereznieta et al. 2011). Of these limited studies
only one was focused on children (youth) in
SIDS, ‘a gap analysis on children and climate
change in the Small Island Developing States of
the Eastern Caribbean’, commissioned by
UNICEF (Ogarro and Speek-Warney 2009).
Due to the limitation of research interest on
youth and climate change in SIDS, youth remains
an underprepared sector of the population to the
impact of climate change as highlighted by Ogarro
and Speek-Warney (2009). Therefore, the issue of
climate change impact and youth development is
emerging as a necessary development discourse
for researchers and policymakers alike (Table 2.1).
Development planners, policy officials and
practitioners consider Climate change as a severe
threat to the sustainable development of SIDS,
and youth development is viewed as a critical
area of focus for the future development of
SIDS. Gaps in the body of knowledge deny policymakers and practitioners in SIDS a practical
set of tools and strategies on climate change education and adaptation strategies to prepare young
people to build their resilience to adapt to the
impact of climate change in the future (Appendix
1). Therefore, youth development and the impact
Developing a New Climate Change Adaptation Framework for Youth in SIDS