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The Role of Volunteers in Addressing the Climate Crisis
July 10-27
Moderated by Tapiwa Kamuruko
About the discussion group
Across the world, climate change is impacting people’s lives and transforming ecosystems. The climate crisis is a humanitarian crisis. In the last five years, 1.59 billion people have been affected by climate and weather-related disasters; as a result, around 130 million people have been internally displaced.
Aside from the immediate impacts, climate change also brings slow-onset impacts, affecting food security, livelihoods and economies. There is a need for urgent climate action across three dimensions: mitigation to cut carbon emissions; adaptation to reduce climate risks; and loss and damage to address unavoidable climate risks and limits to adaptation. Volunteer interventions at local and global levels continue to drive environmental outcomes and climate action, whether through spontaneous community-based actions or highly specialized support at the global level.
The contribution of volunteering to climate action and community resilience report provides evidence of how volunteers across the world are engaging in actions that help their communities adapt to – and build resilience against – the impacts of climate change. It looks at the different forms and scales of volunteering, with a focus on local volunteering. Volunteerism comes in many forms and contributes in multiple ways to respond to climate change and build community resilience.
This discussion is an open invitation to all stakeholders – volunteers, practitioners, researchers, and policymakers – to share their experiences, good practices, and innovative ideas for harnessing the power of volunteerism to address the climate crisis and build resilient communities.
Key Discussion Points
- Disaster Risk Reduction and Emergency Response: How are volunteers contributing to disaster risk reduction and emergency response efforts in their communities? Share your experiences and best practices.
- Ecosystem Restoration and Nature-Based Solutions: What initiatives are you involved in that promote ecosystem restoration and nature-based solutions? How can we scale up these efforts?
- Sustainable Livelihoods and Community-Based Adaptation: How are volunteers supporting sustainable livelihoods and community-based adaptation strategies? What are some successful examples you have seen?
- Volunteer Engagement in Climate Action Initiatives: What are some of the challenges you face in engaging volunteers in climate action initiatives? How can we better support and resource these efforts?
Greetings all. In Zambia the issue of climate is more than real and has gone to the extremes if i can put it that way. This has contributed to extreme load shedding being experienced in many sectors of our country. In addition to that more than half of the country experiences abnormal rainfall partners with drought and floods altogether which means that small scale farmers in the rural areas have been adversely affected meaning that the livelihoods of the people have been impacted negatively. One way we have seen helpful is that artists have volunteered to sensitize communities using various artistic products on how to use sustainable farming methods and livelihoods. This also has meant that all strategies in the country should include how to address the issue of climate change and we underscore the role of volunteers in these strategies. The National Youth Policy for instance has recognized the role of volunteers in sustainable development. we continue to engage volunteers in our everyday business, and we remain grateful to their participation.
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One of the key problems Cliff Allum myself and others found in our report for The International Forum on Volunteering in Development was the disjuncture between a focus on on the ground adaptation issues and actually addressing at policy level the fact that the global North is the major contributor to climate change. Despite this most IVCOs are not focused on major policy change in the Global North and because most of them are largely funded by governments they are not in a position to question national climate policies for more significant action. see https://forum-ids.org/ivco-2020-paper-3/
In reply to (No subject) by Peter.Devereux
Thank you for this good point and for the report, empowering volunteers to participate in all stages of the climate action cycle, can strengthen the connection between local realities and global policy.
which brings me to this question. How can we effectively harness the potential of volunteers to drive this change? What strategies can be implemented to ensure that volunteer efforts are aligned with broader climate goals?
which brings me to this question. How can we effectively harness the potential of volunteers to drive this change? What strategies can be implemented to ensure that volunteer efforts are aligned with broader climate goals?
Dear advocates of Climate change, I am interested to hear for you all and be part of this global action, and interested to share our experience at Serve Global-youth focused NGO operating in Ethiopia. we are engaging youth volunteerism as a strategic approach to tackle the effect of climate change.
tariku@serveglobal.org
tariku@serveglobal.org
In reply to (No subject) by tarik.@serve
Regarding climate volunteer service, I also thought of one thing. In our recently completed research report on the theme of Chinese volunteer service (which is the Chinese version and will be released later this year), we actually included cases of technology empowering volunteer service. For example, there are many urban floods and waterlogging disasters caused by climate change, and there are often various types of urban waterlogging. In 2021, urban blocks in provinces such as Henan in China experienced flooding disasters. Since then, many social media and map information service providers have actively opened the rainstorm information mutual aid channel to enable users to share the situation of their neighborhood in a timely manner, so that other users can understand information, make decisions, and help each other in an emergency.
This highlights the contribution of social media and information technology in mitigating the impact of climate disasters.
This highlights the contribution of social media and information technology in mitigating the impact of climate disasters.
In reply to (No subject) by chengmzhang
I recently graduated as a Mechanical Engineer from a good university. During my studies, I took part in activities focused on the climate crisis. We worked on projects like clean and green energy, integrating climate goals into our coursework. One exciting project we explored was vertical-axis wind turbines.
The climate crisis is a big problem, especially caused by industries making things. Look at the ocean cleanup—thousands of tons of plastic waste come from big companies. Climate crisis is not just about heavy rain or floods; it affects everything in nature.
Pakistan struggles with climate problems because cities grow fast, and many trees are cut down. Volunteers, especially young people, are very important for any country. I am proud to be a UN volunteer working for good causes. As a volunteer, I've done many awareness campaigns and helped make policies, like pushing for taxes on tobacco products. Even though it might seem different, these things connect to climate issues in some ways.
I was also part of Imran Khan's Billion Tree Tsunami project, which aimed to plant a billion trees to fight climate chang
The climate crisis is a big problem, especially caused by industries making things. Look at the ocean cleanup—thousands of tons of plastic waste come from big companies. Climate crisis is not just about heavy rain or floods; it affects everything in nature.
Pakistan struggles with climate problems because cities grow fast, and many trees are cut down. Volunteers, especially young people, are very important for any country. I am proud to be a UN volunteer working for good causes. As a volunteer, I've done many awareness campaigns and helped make policies, like pushing for taxes on tobacco products. Even though it might seem different, these things connect to climate issues in some ways.
I was also part of Imran Khan's Billion Tree Tsunami project, which aimed to plant a billion trees to fight climate chang
In reply to (No subject) by huzaifamustafa
Thank you for your comments we would like to get your contribution to the following key discussion points
In terms of Disaster Risk Reduction and Emergency Response: How are volunteers contributing to disaster risk reduction and emergency response efforts in their communities?
In Ecosystem Restoration and Nature-Based Solutions: What initiatives are you involved in that promote ecosystem restoration and nature-based solutions? How can we scale up these efforts?
In Sustainable Livelihoods and Community-Based Adaptation: How are volunteers supporting sustainable livelihoods and community-based adaptation strategies? What are some successful examples you have seen?
In Volunteer Engagement in Climate Action Initiatives: What are some of the challenges you face in engaging volunteers in climate action initiatives? How can we better support and resource these efforts?
In terms of Disaster Risk Reduction and Emergency Response: How are volunteers contributing to disaster risk reduction and emergency response efforts in their communities?
In Ecosystem Restoration and Nature-Based Solutions: What initiatives are you involved in that promote ecosystem restoration and nature-based solutions? How can we scale up these efforts?
In Sustainable Livelihoods and Community-Based Adaptation: How are volunteers supporting sustainable livelihoods and community-based adaptation strategies? What are some successful examples you have seen?
In Volunteer Engagement in Climate Action Initiatives: What are some of the challenges you face in engaging volunteers in climate action initiatives? How can we better support and resource these efforts?
In reply to (No subject) by derek.ngala
Disaster Risk Reduction and Emergency Response:
Volunteers in Pakistan collaborate with organizations like Edhi, the army, and NDMA for disaster risk reduction and emergency response, including rescue operations during floods, earthquakes, and other disasters.
Ecosystem Restoration and Nature-Based Solutions:
I've been involved in projects in Pakistan focused on reforestation and promoting sustainable agricultural practices. Scaling up these efforts requires partnerships and resources to combat deforestation and habitat loss.
Sustainable Livelihoods and Community-Based Adaptation:
Volunteers support sustainable livelihoods through skills training and promoting climate-resilient farming methods. Initiatives like eco-tourism and water management projects help communities adapt to climate change impacts.
Volunteer Engagement in Climate Action Initiatives:
Challenges in Pakistan include limited resources and awareness. Strengthening volunteer engagement requires better training, partnerships with NGOs and government, and improved media coverage to raise awareness and recruit more volunteers.
Volunteers in Pakistan collaborate with organizations like Edhi, the army, and NDMA for disaster risk reduction and emergency response, including rescue operations during floods, earthquakes, and other disasters.
Ecosystem Restoration and Nature-Based Solutions:
I've been involved in projects in Pakistan focused on reforestation and promoting sustainable agricultural practices. Scaling up these efforts requires partnerships and resources to combat deforestation and habitat loss.
Sustainable Livelihoods and Community-Based Adaptation:
Volunteers support sustainable livelihoods through skills training and promoting climate-resilient farming methods. Initiatives like eco-tourism and water management projects help communities adapt to climate change impacts.
Volunteer Engagement in Climate Action Initiatives:
Challenges in Pakistan include limited resources and awareness. Strengthening volunteer engagement requires better training, partnerships with NGOs and government, and improved media coverage to raise awareness and recruit more volunteers.
I work with the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Arts of the Republic of Zambia. We have been able to work with volunteers online and onsite in our projects and programmes. They have enabled us to achieve much more than we expected. At the Ministry we have a number of volunteers working with us in various departments and we are so grateful to their work. we are still tapping on their wisdom and capacities to improve service delivery in our communities and institutions. Chao!
In our communities, emergency response volunteers are often local residents who, while not specialists in disaster risk reduction, possess intimate knowledge of the area and a robust social capital network. This familiarity enables them to collaborate swiftly with professional rescue teams during crises, performing volunteer work effectively. These volunteers often assist professionals in disseminating crucial knowledge about disaster preparedness. But typically, their routine volunteer activities, which might include assisting with elderly who wander—a common issue in aging communities—may not directly relate to disaster risk reduction, mirroring the actions seen in rescue teams in my hometown.
It is encouraging to see a growing number of volunteers committed to the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG 13, which focuses on climate action. These volunteers play a pivotal role in disseminating knowledge about climate mitigation and action. However, it is vital to recognize the potential of older adults, who are often the most vulnerable to extreme temperatures yet possess substantial untapped potential. Currently, most SDG 13 outreach targets younger demographics, particularly university students, with limited initiatives directed at older adults, who may not fully grasp the entire scope of climate action. They are typically accustomed to engaging in simpler sustainable practices like waste sorting and recycling. Survey data indicate that many active older adults have around two hours of leisure time daily, which could be utilized for social and community engagement. Thus, there's a significant opportunity to involve older adults not just as recipients but as active participants in volunteer climate action initiatives.
It is encouraging to see a growing number of volunteers committed to the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG 13, which focuses on climate action. These volunteers play a pivotal role in disseminating knowledge about climate mitigation and action. However, it is vital to recognize the potential of older adults, who are often the most vulnerable to extreme temperatures yet possess substantial untapped potential. Currently, most SDG 13 outreach targets younger demographics, particularly university students, with limited initiatives directed at older adults, who may not fully grasp the entire scope of climate action. They are typically accustomed to engaging in simpler sustainable practices like waste sorting and recycling. Survey data indicate that many active older adults have around two hours of leisure time daily, which could be utilized for social and community engagement. Thus, there's a significant opportunity to involve older adults not just as recipients but as active participants in volunteer climate action initiatives.
I am an Anthropology graduate who has been working on the field of research for over 6 years. Volunteerism has been a great exploration for me over the years as this is necessary for the current world. Climate, peace and humanitarian crisis needs a unified solution where everyone should work together. Volunteerism can help young people learn inclusivity, unity and greater sense of achievement from doing something the world desperately needs right now. I feel every program or research include volunteers in its framework so that people who are looking to make differences and are in need of expriences get a chance to explore, their lack of exprience or lack of concrete career path shouldnt be the limiters for them.
I have been involved in so many climate related activities and learning sessions for over four years and the experiences was so amazed because I have learnt so much what climate change is all about the causes, impacts and the effects on human and physical environment and with my experience on track record I have educated and enlightened over 1000 people especially students and community members. For instance during my Climate Leadership Fellowship organised by Climate Smart Nigeria in 2021 I was able to carryout a project in my community through empowering young people especially students in secondary school on climate change and in year 2023, I was also part of the Climate Actors Accelerator Programme organised by SDSN were I led volunteers team in my community on planting trees through involvement of stak eholders in combating the impact of climate change. And in 2023, I was also be part of ECO30 challenge were I advocate for sustainability through social media campaigns on climate change. I believe through volunteering we can make a better world for our environment and humanity through engagement and enlightenment.
Welcome to our online discussion on "The Role of Volunteers in Addressing the Climate Crisis." This discussion is part of the UNV Knowledge Portal's ongoing efforts to explore the contributions of volunteering to sustainable development, with a specific focus on climate action. Looking forward to your participation.
The discussion topic is closed so you cannot participate.
Discussion Moderators
Tapiwa Kamuruko
Facilitator
Discussion Members
Tapiwa Kamuruko
Member
Dereck Ngala
Member
Hussain Hamzah
Member
Durlav Rayamajhi
Member
Chengmeng Zhang
Member
Esther Ngambi
Member
Huzaifa Mustafa
Member
Tariku Negash
Member
Peter
Member
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