Climate Change and Youth Advocacy

DSI Global Change Research Plan

The CoE-HUMAN Climate Change and Youth Advocacy Project, led by postdoctoral fellow Dr Khuthala Mabetha, responds to the call by the Minister of the DSI in the Decadal Plan for research and innovation to support the development of solutions for climate change as a societal grand challenge (SGC). Further, the DSI Global Change Research Plan (GCRP) notes the social sciences and humanities can have a significant contribution to this SGC (Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability) as there is a need to understand the drivers of human behaviour and consumption of environmental goods and services.

Dr Mabetha’s project, entitled: “Integrating Youth Perspectives to Climate Action: Adopting a Participatory Action Research Approach to promote youth advocacy on climate change in youth-friendly health centres in Soweto, South Africa” explores how to engage younger residents to advocate for climate change action in townships.

Young people in South Africa are feeling the brunt of the climate crisis and environmental degradation, according to a 2021 UNICEF poll where 80% of South African youth reported being directly affected by a climate or environment related event1. Of those who had been impacted by this crisis, 20% indicated that their homes

UNICEF South Africa U-Report poll: 80 per cent of young people affected by a climate or environment related event. (04 November 2021). Press Release Retrieved 12 August 2022, from https://www.unicef.org/southafrica/press-releases/80-cent-young-people-affected-climate-orenvironment-related-event were demolished, 16% had a disruption in their learning activities and 14% had limited access to safe water. Amid this climate crisis, now a major public health concern, young people in South Africa have joined global efforts to mitigate the climate crisis and are promoting advocacy for climate change both at the local and national level. This youth-led advocacy has taken place in schools and universities, on social media, and through community-led youth campaigns.

One example of this youth-led action is the South African Youth Climate Action Plan (SA YCAP) which seeks to mobilize youth to advocate for a just climate and to foster a sustainable environment. While the youth have made progress in expanding the network of young people to contribute to a climate resilient future, youth-focused health services remain an unex plored avenue to engage with youth. This approach also offers the potential to engage young people in health policies and increase awareness on how climate change is becoming a social determinant of health.

Dr Mabetha seeks to explore the knowledge, perceptions, experiences and needs of youth around health and climate change and to examine how youth-focused organizations can integrate climate change discussions into their health delivery models, training and resources. Using a Participatory Action Research Approach, she will examine these issues with young men and women in Soweto including their ideas for how the findings can be disseminated to produce actionable change. In addition, in-depth interviews will be conducted with individuals working in youth-focused organisations to obtain their views on how they believe climate change discussions and education can be integrated in their training and health resources.

The study will be conducted at the Wits Health Hubb located in Jabulani, Soweto. Soweto has been identified by the City of Johannesburg (CoJ) as a “deprivation cluster”, an area that has concentrated impoverishment with poor human development index related to employment, income, education, health and the living environment2. Of note, Soweto has been reported to experience infrastructure issues such as poor storm water drain systems leading to floods, spillage of sewer, electricity issues, and a lack of recreational facilities and green spaces such as parks or community gardens3

Digital Solutions to Tackle Mental Health

Rapid technological advancement is creating a multitude of opportunities to connect with people and to supply education, goods and services, including for healthcare. However, as the DSI Decadal Plan highlights, digital healthcare solutions, especially in the mental health and wellness space, must put the person at the centre of the innovation and seek to understand through the social sciences, what it means to be human as a foundation of complex multi-disciplinary approaches to addressing healthcare challenges in South Africa.

Within this space, CoE-HUMAN have been supporting work that seeks to promote good mental health and to create awareness around mental health and social justice issues among vulnerable groups. This was achieved through an exciting collaboration with a South African award-winning non-profit company, R-Labs and Zlto located in the disadvantaged area of Bridgetown, Cape Town. Zlto provide a platform that uses blockchain technology to increase engagement amongst youth, and to track and encourage positive social behaviours using a rewards system.

Working with the Zlto team, CoE-HUMAN supported the creation of content for micro courses to increase understanding and provide guidance around three major areas impacting young people – depression, gender-based violence, and suicide. The courses were launched online in March 2022 and so far, we have reached thousands of young people (83% age 18-24y), across the country in every province and in both rural and urban areas (depicted in the visual below).