Background: Asia and the Pacific, Water and Youth
ADB’s 2023 publication on Engaging Youth in Asia and the Pacific’s Water and Sanitation Management[1] lays out the argument for an increased focus on youth:
“Meaningful youth engagement in the water sector in Asia and the Pacific is fundamental to ensure inclusivity and to leverage the region’s youth capital toward sustainable water security and resilience. Strategically involving young people and young professionals helps strengthen the delivery of projects, realize global goals, generate and share knowledge, and influence lasting positive change in communities and society at large. The youth offer innovative thinking, solutions in emerging areas such as digitalization, and updated skill sets relevant to the critical challenges facing the water sector in Asia and the Pacific. These include rising environmental impacts, rapid urbanization, and growing water scarcity. Youth also provide significant inroads to local networks and fresh perspectives to catalyze improved water and sanitation service provision and water resources management.
Asia and the Pacific are on the frontline of the environmental crisis, contributing more than half of all greenhouse gas emissions while also being highly vulnerable to extreme weather and disasters.[2] Nearly 60% of the world’s 15–24-year-olds[3] live in the region[4] and young people will live with the consequences of today’s decisions the longest. Young people also possess unique insights about their needs and contexts that can increase the effectiveness, inclusivity, and sustainability of financing.”[5]
As ADB’s sector operations pivot to contribute to promoting resilience, the connection between young people and effective, inclusive, and innovative action becomes more relevant to ADB. Young people lead in promoting resilience in several ways:
- Many young people are deemed as digitally fluent and contribute to technological innovation and entrepreneurship.[6] Their ability to navigate and leverage technology can help bridge the gap between science and action, as seen in initiatives highlighted by WeForum that showcase youth-led solutions.[7]
Young people bring diverse and unique perspectives, which can inform and strengthen environmental policies and programs. Their direct insights into local needs and contexts can enhance the effectiveness and sustainability of these initiatives, ensuring they reflect the realities of those most affected.[8]
- Groups of young people demonstrate a strong commitment to environmental stewardship through volunteerism and awareness. Their first-hand experiences with the adverse effects of environmental degradation often drive their resolve to develop innovative and impactful solutions.[9]
- Young people are often more comfortable challenging existing norms and advocating for transformative policies.[10] This has been demonstrated through a wave of youth-led activism, both on a local and global scale.[11]
ADB is tapping into youth innovation through its long-term corporate strategy, Strategy 2030, aiming for an inclusive society ready for complex challenges. As it nears its 60th anniversary, ADB has committed to ensuring 75% of its operations support solving complex challenges such as environmental challenges by 2030 (a target it surpassed in 2021-2023, with 79% of operations committed in these areas). ADB also updated a target to deliver more than $100 billion in cumulative environmental financing over 2019-2030. Moreover, the bank emphasizes youth engagement in developing member countries’ (DMCs) transition to just low-carbon and resilient economies. In addition, resilience must be embedded in education strategies, deliveries, and systems where young people play a critical role.
ADB is advancing its efforts in the water sector by developing a comprehensive Water and Youth Strategy. This aims to integrate youth into the design and delivery of water-related projects, which often intersect with agriculture and urban development. The strategy focuses on fostering innovation, building capacity in DMCs and supporting MYE in ADB's country programming, policy dialogues, project preparation, implementation, evaluation, and monitoring. Young people are invited to contribute their ideas and help refine the strategy by creating an action agenda, significantly impacting the future of water management in urban and rural areas.
Today's young people will live with the consequences of today’s decisions the longest, and intergenerational social justice means that young people have the right to significantly shape the policies and decisions of governments, the private sector, and international organizations.[12]
[1] ADB. 2023. Engaging Youth in Asia and the Pacific’s Water and Sanitation Management.
[2] Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). 2023. Climate Change 2023: Synthesis Report.
[3] ADB. 2018. Strategy 2030: Achieving a Prosperous, Inclusive, Resilient, and Sustainable Asia and the Pacific.
[4] United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). 2022. State of World Population 2022: Seeing the Unseen. New York.
[5] United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA). 2023. World Youth Report: Youth Social Entrepreneurship and the 2030 Agenda. New York.
[6] World Economic Forum (WEF). 2022. The Future of Water and Youth Leadership.
[7] WeForum. 2021. Three Ways to Engage Young People for Effective Climate Action
[8] UNDP. 2016. Global Programme for Sustainable Development & Peace.; Farthing. 2012. "Why youth participation? Some justifications and critiques of youth participation. Using New Labour’s Youth Policies as a Case Study."
[9] Save the Children. 2020. Guardians of the Planet: Asia Pacific Children and Youth Voices on Climate Crisis and Disaster Risk Reduction
[10] UNDP. 2022. Aiming Higher: Elevating Meaningful Youth Engagement for Climate Action.
[11] Extinction Rebellion. 2021. Mobilizing Youth for Climate Justice: Case Studies and Strategies.
[12] See the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Every person under 18 has the right to participate in the decision-making processes that impact them, including participation in public forums.