Explore cases, countries and measures

BrazilExtreme events

Climate education and community intervention with peripheral youth in the face of climate risks in Brasilândia, São Paulo

Brasilândia, on the northern outskirts of São Paulo, is one of the regions of the city with the highest incidence of risk areas. There, the Instituto Perifa Sustentável, founded in 2019 by young black activists from the outskirts of São Paulo, strengthens the adaptation capacity of peripheral youth through climate education. With “Clima de Quebrada”, in 2023 it trained 200 students and 50 teachers from a public school, who together recovered an abandoned space in the neighborhood.

Measure: Education
Territory: Atlantic Forest
Youth participation: The project was created and coordinated by young black activists. Students aged 12 to 14, with the school group, proposed mobilization actions, planned and carried out the intervention in the neighborhood and produced videos for social networks.

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ColombiaDrought

Environmental education and community restoration in the face of drought in Manaure, La Guajira

In Manaure, La Guajira, children and adolescents from the Wayuu Pesuapa indigenous community created the collective “La Nación Verde” (Wayuu Environmental Children) to respond to the drought, the loss of water in the jagüeyes and the presence of extractive companies. With the support of the NGO Nación Wayuu, they planted more than 500 trees and carried out waste cleaning, wildlife rescue and environmental training sessions among peers.

Measure: Education
Territory: Guajira–Barranquilla xeric scrubland
Youth participation: Wayuu children and youth founded, named "The Green Nation" and support the collective on their own initiative; They are not beneficiaries of an external program but rather the direct formulators and executors of the measure, with technical support from a local NGO.

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ChileDrought

Monitoring and environmental education on glacier retreat to confront drought and water scarcity in Chile

In Chile, the Fundación Glaciares Chilenos, led by young scientists and volunteers, addresses drought and the decline of water reserves. To do this, they created the public platform Latitud Glaciar and promoted education and regulatory advocacy. Among their achievements, they georeferenced 210 glaciers, reached 4.5 million people with scientific dissemination, trained more than 400 students and influenced the legislative debate for the Glacier Protection Law.

Measure: Education
Territory: N/A
Youth participation: Founded in 2017 by siblings Felipe and Constanza Espinosa, who were around 29 and 26 years old at the time, and supported by a mostly young volunteer team. Youth lead research, web design, dissemination on networks and school talks on the cryosphere and climate emergency.

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MexicoDrought

Environmental education and food resilience through food rescue and recycling in Tenango del Valle, State of Mexico

In central Mexico, drought and water stress affect food systems and increase the vulnerability of families with fewer resources. In Tenango del Valle, the SUSANA youth initiative strengthens local food resilience: it rescues food that is about to expire and turns it into food pantries for vulnerable families, with school and community brigades that also recycle PET to finance the operation. In 2025 it will benefit around 1,700 people.

Measure: Education
Territory: Temperate mountain ranges
Youth participation: SUSANA was created by Nally García Medina and is led by young people, who organize school and community brigades to collect PET and food, raise awareness among students about recycling and using food, and set up food pantries for vulnerable families.

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