Youth in action on on climate climate change:

12 <strong>Youth</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>action</strong> on climate change: <strong>in</strong>spirations from around the world
Climate Change
Human activities, such as the use of fossil fuels, deforestation and
unsusta<strong>in</strong>able agriculture have been substantially <strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>g the
atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases. These <strong>in</strong>creases enhance
the natural greenhouse effect, which will result <strong>in</strong> additional warm<strong>in</strong>g
of the Earth’s surface and atmosphere and may adversely affect natural
ecosystems and humank<strong>in</strong>d.
Accord<strong>in</strong>g to the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
def<strong>in</strong>ition 2 , climate change is a change
of climate which is attributed directly or
<strong>in</strong>directly to human activity that alters the
composition of the global atmosphere and
which occurs <strong>in</strong> addition to natural climate
variability observed over comparable time
periods. Climate change is affect<strong>in</strong>g natural,
social and economic systems.
It decreases the availability of nutritious
food and clean water, and destroys
ecosystems and safe liv<strong>in</strong>g environments.
This leads to malnutrition, ill health and
migration, render<strong>in</strong>g youth particularly
vulnerable. The impacts of climate change
<strong>in</strong>clude, <strong>in</strong>ter alia, melt<strong>in</strong>g glaciers, sea level
rise and an <strong>in</strong>crease <strong>in</strong> the frequency of
extreme weather events such as droughts,
cyclones or heavy ra<strong>in</strong>falls 3 .