Youths want priorities for nature-based solutions to biological diversity crisis

The global youth representatives have urged world leaders to set up priorities for adopting Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) and ensuring their participation in the policy making to implement it properly.
Expressing concerns over the misuse of Nature Based Solutions, they also noted that they are not against these traditional methods, but worried if it would be abused for an ill intention.
Derrick Emmanuel Mugisha, Youth Representative from Global Youth Biodiversity Network, one of panellists of youth experts said, "On the ground, we are seeing people are planting trees just for economic gain. They are looking for the quick solution, which is where we run into problems. We plant the wrong trees at the wrong time, and we do not listen to the communities," he made this statement at a discussion titled "Youth and Nature Based Solutions: What is at Stake?" organised by Youth4Nature on December 13 on the sidelines the COP15 Biodiversity talks ( UN Convention on Biological Diversity) at GYBN Youth Pavilion at in Montreal, Canada, the seat of the UN
CBD Secretariat, which began from December 7 and will be concluded on December 19.
He also noted that most of the finance that is given out to 'Nature-Based Solutions' does not actually go to the communities on the ground. It does not go to the rights-holders. And we cannot do restoration without the communities,' he said.
According to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Nature-Based Solutions are "actions to protect, sustainably manage, and restore natural or modified ecosystems, that address societal challenges effectively and adaptively, simultaneously providing human well-being and biodiversity benefits.
Mugisha also said that millions of people are going to die, thousands of species to face extinction and ecology integration to fall further, which means people are going to face a giant catastrophes in future.
" People must know about this eco- system based nature's functions, its integration and correlation between the human and the environment. If we follow these rules then we will be able to solve this climate crisis," he told the Daily Observer.
"I am hopeful about these practices and if we adopt these tools, we can bring back our native species which are being extinct. This is a very crucial tool which is needed for the very existence of human and the Mother Nature," he added.
A good number of youth environment activists said that NbS will be a false promise  if it does not address the root cause of the problems behind the cause of biodiversity loss, environment degradation and climate crisis.
They also demanded to identify the main drivers of these threats and responsible for this peril.
In response to a query what they mean when they say that NbS must be grounded in rights-based approaches, Bethe Julia, another panellist of youth experts said that it is about incorporating the rights of both people and nature into policies that we implement. This we call NbS.
However, referring to the possible outcome of the conference, Julia, Policy Taskforce Lead of Youth4Nature said that the whole negotiation is a bit slow and has not seen any remarkable achievement yet.
Mirna Ines Fernandez, a member of Forum for Environment and Development, said that various stakeholders must work together but the corporate houses should have special tasks because sometimes they put garbage that threatens our ecology environment.
"For example, industrial waste is being thrown in the rivers that threatens the whole eco- system. In this regard, developed countries must come with financial supports to restore our water bodies, including wet lands, rivers, seas and others. In this collaboration we need to harmonise with the young generation," she said while talking with the Daily Observer.
She also said that they do not want to witness the blame game rather all countries should come forward, to sit and work together for a sustainable co -existence, she added
Is COP15 is a success so far? Responding to this query, Derrick, informed that what we need is a clear text, which should be aligned with where we are now, and is grounded in science.
"We need everyone, including youths, to have easy access to resources. And we need actors to be accountable for their actions," he told the Daily Observer.
Julia, said that if NbS is to be included in the COP15 text, it must be aligned with the UNEP definition, and it must be explicitly grounded in safeguards for people and nature, and in rights- based approaches.
Responding to another query about how can we avoid co-option and misuse, if we want to promote nature-based solutions? Mirna said that we need academia to be allies, to amplify youth and grassroots voices, and to push for rights-based approaches and meaningful engagement in NbS.
However, a couple of important opinions came up from the audience during the panel discussion including 'must avoid' tokenism and extractive relationship when actors engage with youths.
"In this regard, developed countries must come with financial supports to restore our water bodies including wet lands, rivers, seas and others. In this collaboration we need to harmonise the need of the role of this generation," she told the Daily Observer.
However, she also said that halting and reversing biodiversity loss require real collaboration and partnership, including with indigenous people, the original guardians of the land.
"It also requires real transformative change, innovation, and a proper accounting for the true value of nature in decision -making across all sectors," she said.
About 195 member countries gathered here to finalise a nature protection deal.
The 15th Conference of the Parties (COP 15), to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), is an international meeting bringing together governments from around the world.
Participants are setting out new goals and develop an action plan for nature.
COP 15 will focus on protecting nature and halting biodiversity loss around the world. The priority of the conference is to ensure the COP15 is a success for nature.
This event also advocates for international collaboration on an ambitious Post -2020 Global Biodiversity Framework, including targeting 30 percent of lands and oceans conserved by 2030.