Young climate movement activists rallied in Barishal, Bangladesh in September 2021 to draw attention to the growing climate emergency and demand urgent action.
In solidarity with Greta Thunberg's Global Climate Movement, a network of youth groups — the Alliance for Youth and Development (AYD) — organized the climate strike with support from UNICEF.
"We came here to protest against the adverse effects of climate change we are bearing and to demand that our rights are protected," said Afshana Mim, 23.
"We know that Bangladesh was a six-season country, but we are losing the seasons day by day," warned 23-year-old Sumaiya Akhter Lima. "Because of this, it rains suddenly, it's too hot during summer and too cold during winter, which is also affecting our agriculture. If young people like us don't raise awareness, then the next generations will have to carry the impacts."
Holding handmade posters reading "Allow Me to Have a Future" and "More Planet Less Plastic," hundreds of young people marched through the streets calling for change.
"I want to reimagine a healthier world, where there would be no river erosions, no poverty," said Naimur Rahman, 21. "There would be more fresh air and fewer diseases."
Children are the least responsible for climate change, yet they will bear the greatest burden of its impact. UNICEF works with partners at global and local level to elevate children's voices on climate change through creative platforms, advocacy and participation in major United Nations summits.
