Bhutanese schoolchildren's message during the NE Green Meet: Engage youngsters in the battle against climate change

A group of carbon-negative pupils Bhutan's message to the rest of the world is to do much more to boost youth participation in the battle against climate change. This group of 12 students from Orong Central School in Bhutan's Samdrup Jongkhar district had come to attend the just finished Northeast Green Summit. Some have argued that organising climate change-related competitions and events in schools and colleges will encourage more young people to work in the climate action area in the future.

"To safeguard the environment, you don't have to be a prime minister, lawmaker, or government official. Every person can help the problem by doing simple things like planting trees and keeping his or her surroundings clean "According to Phuntsho Wangmo, a class 12 student, She gave the example of how the district authorities in Samdrup Jongkhar organise an annual competition in which school students propose creative ways to save the environment, such as recycling waste materials.

"Our school won the contest in 2017 when students came up with the idea of making planters out of leftover bamboo sections... Governments must do much more to engage kids in this fight "She continued. As part of the event, students in class 10 are expected to clean their surroundings and recycle plastic waste, according to Kezabg Sherab. He, too, stated that youth participation is critical to environmental action.

"If we recognise our environmental duties at an early age, it will undoubtedly help us behave more responsibly," he said. For the first time, pupils from the 'Land of the Thunder Dragon' attended the seventh edition of the summit at the North Eastern Police Academy here. The summit was organised by the Vibgyor NE Foundation, a non-profit organisation that focuses on environmental issues in Northeast India.

The pupils delighted the audience with their brilliant and lively'mask dance,' which they performed during the inaugural event while dressed in colourful, traditional costumes. Tendral Zangmo, a class 12 student, stated that while conservation is vital, so is development, and that striking the correct balance between the two is critical. "I am enthusiastic about the environment, but I also recognise that development and industrialization are required for nations to progress. We must strike a balance between conservation and development "She stated. Jigme Thinlye Namgyal, Consul General at the Royal Bhutan Consulate in Guwahati, spoke at the event about how Bhutan became a carbon-negative country and what Northeast India can learn from it.

"Bhutan's government has a history of basing political decisions on a Gross National Happiness (GNH) index rather than economic progress. It acknowledges the need of economic growth while emphasising that it must not jeopardise the nation's distinct culture or pristine environment "He stated. "According to the Constitution, 60% of the country's total land area is permanently covered in forest, and free hydroelectric power supplied by Bhutan's many rivers is used instead of less environmentally friendly fossil fuels. In addition, the nation gives free energy to rural farmers and has prohibited log exports." The lush foliage and rich flora and animals of northeast India are well known. There is a lot that can be done with its riches of mineral resources, he said.

(source : PTI)