Rabat – Moroccan activist Hatim Aznague has expressed satisfaction with his election to the Arab Youth Council for Climate Change, dedicating his council seat to all young Moroccans and pledging to take his climate advocacy to the next level on the regional and world stages.
Aznague, the founder and president of the Youth Association for Sustainable Development in Morocco, will work with 11 other young men and women from eight Arab countries to raise awareness about climate change and urge governments to take the necessary actions to meet climate-related challenges.
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The regional body is headquartered in the UAE and works under the League of Arab States.
Following his appointment to the regional council, Aznague shared with Morocco World News (MWN) his ambitions and plans for the climate change cause, as well as his sentiment regarding his election to the Arab youth body.
He described his election to the council as a “representation of all Moroccan youth,” adding that the body is aimed at showing the world that “both Moroccan and Arab youth are united in the face of climate change.”
The council, he said, “is a critical response” to the changes taking place in the Arab region.
“We should keep in mind that this council is initially made to echo the voice of youth for the protection of our planet,” Aznague told MWN.
The young Moroccan climate activist said that one of his main goals as a member of the Arab Youth Council is to showcase Morocco’s achievements in the field of climate change.
As a seasoned advocate for the climate and other issues pertaining to social justice, Aznague appears to know that achieving his goals with the Arab Youth Council would entail creating “communication opportunities with the youth for them to voice out their experiences and perspectives in the Arab region.”
Because his appointment to the council effectively made him a representative of the Moroccan youth, he said, “I aim to work in unison with other members to sensitize youth and empower their awareness regarding the challenge of climate change in the Arab region.”
Like the rest of the world, the Arab region is also facing serious climate change challenges, including rising temperatures.
A 2020 assessment report from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change found that the region is set to experience far-reaching consequences from human-induced climate disruptions.
Fresh water sources are set to be among the major victims of climate change in the region, the report noted, arguing that the region’s rapidly accelerating climate change impact will increase “socio-economic and environmental vulnerability in Arab states across water-dependent sectors.”
Amid such bleak assessments, Aznague hopes to see the Arab Youth Council fully play its role in terms of creating innovative and “realistic” solutions to fight against climate change.
“There will be a traceable and tangible impact of Moroccan youth’s participation in the actions conducted by the council,” he said.
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