NAYPW back from Paris COP21

North American representatives recently came back from Paris, where they took part in a water-related project called COP21 francophone youth for water. With 52 young people from 17 different french-speaking countries, Canadian representative Anne-Sophie Ste-Marie studied the the place of youth in water management in their respective regions, leading surveys on the impacts of climate change on water and food security. The project initiated by Office-Franco-Quebecois-pour-la-Jeunesse (OFQJ), Global Water Partnership (GWP) and the World Youth Parliament for Water (WYPW) resulted in the development of a white paper, called A Paris for Water (A Bet for Water). The latter was, among others, presented to Quebec PM, Mr. Philippe Couillard and French ecology minister, Mme Ségolène Royal.

A Paris for a water joins studies and recommendations of young Francophones on four major themes: health, agriculture, weather hazards and sharing water. "If our report brings together mainly adaptation and risk management of climate change impacts, I want to remind a cross solution we can no longer ignore: the reduction of emissions of greenhouse effect" mentions UQAR student, Anne-Sophie Ste-Marie. She adds that solutions that combine GHG reduction and adaptation measures exists already and that it's time we really begin the transition. Indeed, adaptation and risk management efforts will not be sufficient if they are not combined with efforts to reduce the rising sea levels, the worsening climatic hazards and their subsequent impacts on health, agriculture and border management.

Read Un Paris pour l'eau (french)

Finally, many thanks for the support of the following partners:

Les Offices Jeunesses Internationaux du Québec

Fonds de Soutien aux Projets Étudiants de l'Université du Québec à Rimouski