Announcing our young people’s competition winners!

CASCADES is studying climate risks in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. We published a report on the risks and priorities for resilience in March, based on consultations with many regional experts.

In general, these were senior or mid-career professionals and they pointed to the missing youth voices given that more than 60 per cent of the MENA population is under 30 years old.

In the report, we conclude that:

the immense human capacity of the region, fully inclusive of women and youth, will be essential to address climate and environmental challenges nimbly, and with greater co-benefits for societal well-being.

To make sure that CASCADES captures the views of young people living in the MENA region, we invited entries from 18 – 30 year-olds (who could also enter as a team), proposing their ideas for how MENA and European partners can work together to boost climate resilience.

We were really excited by the thought that went into the entries and would like to thank everyone who took part.

In the end, we chose 3 amazing winners:

• Hayette Soltana Bellakehal (Algeria)
• Toka Mahmoud and Mostafa Saleh (Egypt)
• Hamdi Hato and Brian Crann (Occupied Palestinian Territories) 

Please find links to the articles below.

A special thank you to those who worked with Glada Lahn and Chris Aylett on the mentoring process: Ala’a Abdulla, Majd Al-Naber, Reem Alhaddadin, Hanne Knaepen, Hanaa Almoaibed, Karim Elgendy and Anum Farhan.

We hope you read, enjoy and promote them and welcome feedback!

How teaching environmental history can help solve water scarcity in Algeria: the case of foggara – Hayette Soltana Bellakehal

Fostering climate innovation and activism through youth entrepreneurship in the MENA – Toka Mahmoud and Mostafa Saleh 

Planting Hope – urban gardening in climate-vulnerable Palestinian refugee camps – Hamdi Hato and Brian Crann

From 16.00 Cairo time / 15.00 CET / 09.00 EST on Thursday 10th November, the winners will discuss responses to climate change in the MENA and their ideas in our virtual COP27 pavilion – it’s open to all so do join us!