Shadrack Nyakoe
In a powerful virtual gathering held under the banner “Africa Unmuted: Powering Climate Action for COP30”, leading voices from law, youth leadership, and mental health advocacy converged to map out integrated strategies for Africa’s climate future.
The webinar, hosted on April 4, 2025, spotlighted bold, interdisciplinary solutions designed to amplify African perspectives. Speakers emphasized the urgent need for legal empowerment, youth-led innovation, and community-based mental health approaches to climate resilience.
Environmentalist and public interest advocate Priscilla Ibadin underscored the importance of robust legal frameworks in advancing climate justice.
She called for widespread legal reforms that prioritize public interest litigation, access to justice, and indigenous knowledge systems. “Law is not just a system of control—it can be a powerful tool for resistance and restoration,” she stated.
Climate advocate Justin Tanyi championed youth leadership as central to Africa’s climate agenda. He called for deeper investment in youth capacity building, digital advocacy, and eco-entrepreneurship. “Young people are not the future—they are the now. Their ideas and energy are reshaping climate discourse across the continent,” he said.
Public health researcher Mureithi Melvin drew critical connections between climate change and mental health, citing increasing cases of anxiety, depression, and trauma caused by environmental shocks. He introduced Mental Health Literacy (MHL) as a strategic tool to build emotionally resilient communities. “A climate-smart Africa must also be a mentally strong Africa,” he urged.
The meeting called for cross-sector collaboration to ensure African voices influence global climate policies and for inclusive systems that recognize the interconnectedness of environmental justice, youth empowerment, and mental health well-being.
Patmoz
