Highlighting the importance of mobilizing youth leaders, US Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Helen LaFave has said climate action is a lot of work and they can make a difference if they work together.

“This is why we emphasize the need to mobilize youth leaders. They are not only future leaders of Bangladesh; they are already talented leaders in their schools and in their communities now,” LaFave said on Sunday.

She joined PM's special envoy for climate change Saber Hossain Chowdhury, MP and Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB) Vice Chancellor Tanweer Hasan for a U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) youth-led campaign to mobilize action to mitigate climate change and protect the environment. 

Fifteen youth organizations from universities and community environmental conservation groups from around the country participated in USAID’s “Saving Mother Nature, Saving Us” over the past several months. 

During this time, they learned how to develop effective project plans and proposals and pitched their project ideas to a panel of judges at a special event at IUB.

Chargé d’Affaires LaFave, Saber Hossain Chowdhury and Vice Chancellor Hasan presented awards to the top three Bangladeshi youth organizations for developing innovative solutions to protect natural resources, improve waste management, curb plastic pollution, and create awareness about the need for urgent action to mitigate climate threats. 

The grand-prize winner of the project proposal competition was the Sharub youth group from Satkhira for their innovative idea to provide remote villages in their district with safe, saline-free drinking water. 

The second place winner was PCycle for their idea to promote sustainable waste management in schools and universities. 

The Bangladesh Youth Environmental Initiative won third place for their project proposal to increase climate literacy and create climate-based school curriculum for young Bangladeshi students. 

The winning groups each received cash grants from USAID to mobilize their project ideas.