By Carlos Claudio, Dodoma.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has put in place a strategy aimed at ensuring that children and young people are fully involved in finding and implementing solutions to the impacts of climate change.
The strategy was highlighted on September 16, 2026, in Dodoma by UNICEF Climate Change Consultant Dr. Sixbert Mwanga during the Local Conference of Youth on Climate Change (LCOY Tanzania), which brought together young people from different parts of the country to discuss climate change challenges and their role in addressing them.
According to Dr. Mwanga, the strategy seeks to position children and young people not only as victims of climate change, but also as resources, a workforce, innovators and solution providers in addressing climate-related challenges.
He said the strategy focuses on three key areas, including protecting children and young people from the impacts of climate change, empowering them with the necessary knowledge and skills, and creating opportunities for them to participate in national and international decision-making platforms on climate change.
He added that UNICEF is also committed to ensuring that its programmes and activities take environmental considerations into account and do not contribute to worsening the impacts of climate change.
Speaking about youth participation in LCOY Tanzania, Tunu Kalanje from the Humanitarian Information Knowledge Foundation (HUDEFO), who was among the members of the conference organising committee, said the meeting provided young people with an opportunity to discuss issues affecting them and prepare the National Youth Statement on Climate Change.
Kalanje said young people want stronger implementation of policies and strategies related to climate change, noting that Tanzania already has policies in place, but implementation remains a major challenge.
“We want to see stronger implementation of policies related to climate change because, as young people, we do not have a problem with having good policies. Our policies are very good, but implementation has been a challenge,” he said.
He also called for greater opportunities for young people to participate in international climate change meetings, saying such opportunities should be accessible and open to youth.
Kalanje further proposed the establishment of a Youth Climate Change Council that would provide young people with a platform to discuss climate-related challenges and present recommendations to the government and other stakeholders.
Meanwhile, Agnes Petro from Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) said she participated in the conference to learn how young people can use technology and innovation to address climate change.
She said technology can help young people demonstrate the impacts of climate change in their communities and develop solutions that can be applied in different areas.
“At our university, we developed a map showing the impacts of floods. I brought that experience to share with other young people so that we can discuss how technology can be used to bring change in climate-related issues,” Agnes said.
Another participant, Emmanuel Elisha Sironga, a medical student at the University of Dodoma and a member of Save Youth Dreams Foundation, said the conference had increased his understanding of the role of young people in policy development and decision-making on climate change.
Sironga said one of the issues that attracted his attention was the discussion on artificial intelligence (AI) and its environmental implications, particularly the use of energy and water by data centres.
He said young people need to continue discussing how emerging technologies can be developed and used while protecting the environment.
Meanwhile, Hilda Sunday from Agri Youth Forum Dodoma said the conference had helped her recognise the important role young people can play in climate action.
She said women, children and young people are among those affected by the impacts of climate change and should therefore be involved in developing solutions.
For her part, Theresia Charles from the Tanzania Girl Guide Association said women and girls should be included in processes aimed at developing climate change policies because they face various challenges associated with climate change.
She said involving women and girls in policy-making would help ensure that the challenges they face are reflected in climate change plans and strategies.
The young people participating in LCOY Tanzania have called for greater youth involvement in the development and implementation of climate change policies, as well as increased opportunities to participate in national and international climate change platforms.
They said such participation would enable young people to use their knowledge, technology, innovation and skills to develop solutions to climate change challenges facing Tanzania.
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