27-29th November 2013, one of IESD master students, Dauglas W Juma, was invited by African Union NEPAD agency to give a presentation on how to engage youths in Fisheries and Aquaculture in wake of climate change at the think tank event on Scientific and Policy Options to Safeguard Africa’s Fisheries and Aquaculture against Climate Change held in Mangochi Malawi. The event brought together African experts and scholars in the field of climate change, fisheries and aquaculture with objectives of coming up with policy options to be recommended to CAMFA II (Conference of African ministers of fisheries and aquaculture). Giving the presentation, he highlighted the low participation of African Youths in the fisheries and aquaculture industry despite the vast population of African population consisting of youths; 70% of the African population is below the age of 30 years.

Youths are the link to the next generation and thus they play a key role to sustainability and thus their participation in the industry is paramount for the future of the industry. Climate change on other hand is affecting ecosystem as a whole through water as a media; through increased water temperatures, sea level raising, floods and through prolonged drought. Fish and water are inseparable and thus they are the most hit by the climate change phenomena and the need for mitigation and adaptations needs to be put in place for sustainability in fisheries industry. The delegates present unanimously agreed that engaging youths into industry is due and needs to be given a priority by governments. He thus rallied the participants to put mechanism in place that will increase participation of youths in fisheries and aquaculture industry in this era of climate change.