Climate change is one of the most pressing issues affecting our world and will be a major issue that young people will have to contend with in the future.
The effects of climate change are likely to hit sub-Saharan Africa the hardest where youth populations are already large and only projected to grow. Like many African countries, Uganda is also working to address issues like youth unemployment and create green jobs to promote sustainable economic growth.
The country has a young population with over 78% of the population under 30. However, youth unemployment remains a significant challenge, with around 13.3% of young people aged 15-24 and 8.3% of those aged 25-29 unemployed.
In recent years, the government has taken steps towards promoting green jobs by developing policies and strategies to address environmental sustainability and economic growth. The government’s National Development Plan (NDP III) includes:
- a focus on green growth and climate change adaptation.
- recognizing that these issues are crucial to achieving sustainable development.
- The country has also developed the Uganda Green Growth Development strategy which aims to create decent and sustainable jobs while promoting environmental sustainability.
Despite these initiatives, many challenges remain in the promotion of green jobs and youth employment in Uganda. Limited access to finance, inadequate skills and training, and a lack of opportunities for young people in rural areas are some of the barriers that need to be addressed.
The COVID-19 pandemic left a huge dent in the economy with many businesses closing down and the subsequent loss of jobs. As the world continues to grapple with the aftermath of the pandemic and the negative effects of climate change, young people find themselves at the centre of all these challenges.
What is the Green Job Project?
Green jobs contribute to preserving or restoring the environment and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. They can be found in sectors like renewable energy, waste management, sustainable agriculture, and conservation. The Green Jobs Project aims to explore the perspectives of unheard young people on their lives in a pandemic and climate change-impacted world – particularly about green jobs. As much as we are making progress towards green jobs and addressing youth unemployment as a country, more needs to be done to promote sustainable green employment for young people.
What impact do we want to have?
Through a youth collaborative approach, this project aims to co-create the research design and research tools with young researchers to ensure that the voices of disadvantaged groups; including young mothers, people with disabilities, and rural-based young people, are heard.
We plan to engage 30 young researchers between 18 – 25 years in the research cycle by using Restless Development Youth-led research methodology. The 6-step youth-led research methodology is a peer-led research methodology used to ensure that young people are not just respondents in research but also lead the process.
We aim to use both qualitative and quantitative methods to reach 1,200 young people. 20 key informants who are considered knowledgeable about the study subject will purposely be selected for interviews to inform its findings. These will include; national and local political, cultural and religious leaders, representatives of Community-based Organisations (CBOs) that deal with climate change, employment and gender (youth issues) and any other individuals considered vital to informing the findings of this study.
