Over 60 young people from across the country will descend upon Dublin city centre tomorrow for the Young Citizens for Water two day national youth meeting organised by ECO-UNESCO, Ireland’s environmental education and youth organisation. The event aims to provide young people with the opportunity, not only to learn more about global water issues, but to engage in peer discussions and have a platform for their voices and opinions to be heard.

Over the two day meeting, the participants aged 14-18 will get involved in a number of interactive workshops to learn about, discuss and explore water related issues including; access, supply and importance, both nationally and internationally of adequate water resources. They will also engage with a number of environmental experts such as representatives from the EPA and the Department of the Environment in a speed networking session. Here the young participants will race against the clock to query and challenge the experts in an effort to learn more about water issues and identify what they as young people can do to play a part in combatting them.   

Speaking about the event, Elaine Nevin, National Director of ECO-UNESCO commented, “2013 is the International Year of Water Cooperation which is being led by UNESCO and we are delighted to be hosting this event during such a key time. Water is essential to every part of life but supply is becoming increasingly under threat year upon year, especially in developing countries. This meeting will provide young people with the opportunity to find out more about this issue and about water’s relationship to food security, people, places and biodiversity and inspire them to become active citizens in protecting our water supply.”

As a follow up to the meeting, young people will create their own water films in January 2014, which they will use to lobby key decision makers and raise awareness about water issues in their local area. These films will be premiered at ECO-UNESCO’s Young Environmentalist Awards Ceremony at the Mansion House in May 2014 before being made available online.