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Climate change is one of the most critical challenges that Earth is facing today. Recent events all around the world have demonstrated it quite horrifically that climate change, if not dealt properly, can cause human race great losses and would leave our societies in ruin if it is not a complete extinction on the Earth. Floods in Pakistan, Droughts in China and India, Hurricanes in United States of America, Tsunamis in Southeast Asian countries, earthquakes in China and other parts of the world, famines and changing climate in many African countries, torrential rains land losses in coastal areas of several countries and number of other such events depict that this changing climate has multi-faceted impacts and correspondingly it requires to be dealt with a sense of urgency and at different levels. Otherwise the overall eco-system of this planet is going to change drastically which may result in human extinction from the face of Earth and as some scholar has described this threat to our existence as “this planet has seen many extinctions and outlived them so it’d outlive next one also but maybe it will be us, the humans, who would not be there to see what it would be like afterwards”.
今天，气候变化是地球面临的最关键的挑战之一。气候变化是一场极其可怕的灾难，会对人类造成巨大的损失，如果气候变化没有得到合理的应对，我们的社会就算不从地球上绝迹，也至少会成为一堆废墟。近年来世界各地发生的各种破坏性自然灾害正说明了这一事实：巴基斯坦的洪水、中国和印度的干旱、美国的飓风、东南亚的海啸、中国和世界其他地区的地震、非洲国家的饥荒、多个国家沿海地区的陆地被暴雨侵蚀等等。这些事件说明，气候变化的影响是多面的，人们必须对此抱有紧迫感，从各个方面应对气候变化。否则，地球整体的生态系统将会被彻底改变，人类也将从地球上消失。有些学者这样描述我们所面临的威胁:“这颗星球已经见证了许多物种的灭绝，它存在的时间已经超过了这些灭绝的物种，并且还将继续超过下一个将要灭绝的物种，而这个物种可能就是我们人类，到那时，我们也许没有机会看到再下一个会是谁。”
This is merely a glimpse of the whole picture and impacts climate change can cause to our planet. Efforts are being made to fight climate challenge at global, regional, and national levels all around the globe and even at provincial and district levels inside borders. Although these efforts differ in their capacity and range but an optimist would argue that something or other is being done to adapt and mitigate to climate change at almost all levels but all these efforts collectively are not yet sufficient enough to the extent which would save us from the avoidable climate impacts. United Nation’s expert bodies on climate change keep warning from time to time about lack of determination and efforts by the global community to fight climate change. Climate change is a global problem but can be fought within confines of borders at country level by all the nations of the world and then build a collective effort by the global community. Consensus has been reached on climate change and measures to adapt and mitigate to climate change but collective actions of the global community are not yet sufficient enough while time is ticking and situation is worsening. One reason behind such inaction as experts say, is that countries of the world don’t own this issue as they own or act towards other issues of national interest and thus with lack of political will to act towards solving this problem their action often lack the required zeal to deal with the issue. 以上所说的仅仅是冰山一角，气候变化对地球的影响远不止于此。现在，全球都在开展应对气候变化的行动，有世界性的、区域性的还有国家性的，有些国家甚至有省级的和区级的。这些行动的力度和覆盖范围不尽相同，乐观主义者会说，这些行动已经是从各个层面采取的适应和减缓气候变化的措施。但是，即便是这些行动全部汇总，也还是不足以使我们免遭气候变化的影响。联合国气候变化的专家经常对国际社会发出警告，指责其在应对气候变化上缺乏决心和行动力。气候变化虽然是一个全球性的问题，但却可以在国家层面得到解决，世界各国可以在自己的疆域范围内采取措施，然后再由国际社会将这些措施进行整合汇总。在适应和减缓气候变化方面，各国已经达成了共识，但是国际社会所采取的具体措施却远远不够，所以，随着时间一分一秒的流逝，情况却变得越来越糟。有专家指出，这些“不作为”背后的一个原因是因为各国并没有将气候变化的问题当作像其他关乎国家利益的问题一样看待，从而缺乏解决问题的政治意愿和热情。
Take India and Pakistan, for example, both the countries have been involved in conflicts over Kashmir, Siichin, Kargil, and other high altitude areas covered with glacial ice. Initially these conflicts started as more of geopolitical disputes but since both the countries are lacking water for their agriculture and power generation and with the changing climate the situation has worsened so, these conflicts have been fueled by changing climate and armed forces from both the countries keep trying to gain control over above mentioned places to tap water from these huge water resources from Karakorum range but at the same time there has been very few efforts to adapt and mitigate climate change and the biggest reason behind such inaction is public unawareness and lack of demand from common masses to fight against climate change. These conflicts have long destabilized the region and as a result ecological balance of the natural habitat is also disturbed. Apart from these conflicts governments from both the countries have been announcing policies to deal with changing climate but their actions have never matched their words. Pakistan a couple of years ago, cut down the allocated budget amount to fight climate change by almost half (total amount for environmental protection is already 0.04% of whole budget amount) while it had issued a national policy on climate change and had expressed determination to fight against climate change and thus its actions went into another direction contrary to its own national policies.
以印度和巴基斯坦为例，这两个国家都卷入了克什米尔、卡吉尔以及其他被冰川覆盖的高纬度地区冲突中。从一开始，这些冲突的发生就远非地缘性政治纠纷，而是由于这两个国家没有充足的水源供农业和发电使用，而随着气候变化的加剧，情况又更加恶化。所以，气候变化让这些冲突火上浇油，这两个国家武装部队都想占领并控制以上这些地区，从而获取喀喇昆仑区域庞大的水资源。然而，他们在适应和减缓气候变化方面采取的措施却是少之又少，这种“不作为”的最大原因就是公共关注度的缺乏，民众并没有应对气候变化的需求。这些冲突造成该区域长期处于不稳定的状态，当地的生态平衡也受到了影响。除了制造这些冲突，这两个国家的政府一直都有颁布应对气候变化的政策，但是他们的承诺从来都没有兑现。两年前，巴基斯坦将其应对气候变化的国家预算削减了几乎一半（环境保护方面的预算只有全部预算的0.04%），但同时该国又颁布了一项应对气候变化的国家政策，并表示了其应对气候变化的决心。由此可见，他的实际行动已经背离了国家政策。
Despite this gloomy picture of global politics and lack of concrete actions, there is a new hope in countries like India and Pakistan. “Youth” which is biggest chunk of the population from both the countries and young people being proportionally better literate are vying to make a difference in every walk of life including efforts to save their nations in particular and the world in general from impacts of climate change. Pakistan has 35% of its total population aged 15 or under and 47% of its total registered voters are aged between 18-35 years while India also has 35% of its whole population aged 20 years or less. Many youth lead philanthropic organizations have sprung up in both the countries and such philanthropic organizations are trying to bring about public awareness of youth related issues and problems along with creating awareness about challenges faced by societies including the challenge of climate change. As UN secretary general Ban Ki Moon in 2007 expressed his belief in youth by saying that these youth are leaders of future and with amazing capability of adapting to new technologies and using them for benefit of humankind they can be the drivers of change. Youth has been a dominant deciding factor in recent elections in India and Pakistan during year 2014 and 2013 elections respectively. Youth with their pulsating enthusiasm and vibrant activism have started leading efforts to demand better legislation and more tuned efforts to solve issues including climate change. While, in developed world like United States youth is also providing with innovative technologies and technology based initiatives to slow down climate change, youth in developing countries like India and Pakistan are not also behind those in developed world. Adaptation to low carbon lifestyle is easier for youth as they are not only better literate but also because of abilities to use technologies better they have an extra advantage. Many youth led activist organization have sprung up both in India and Pakistan.
尽管国际政坛和缺乏实际行动的国际社会呈现出这样一幅让人沮丧的画面，但是在印度和巴基斯坦这样的国家却出现了新的希望。在这两个国家中，青年人所占的比例最高，他们的受教育情况也更好，他们都希望在各行各业有所建树，其中包括具体的拯救自己的国家和总体上拯救世界。巴基斯坦15岁及以下的人口占全国人口的35%，该国47%的登记选民年龄在18-35岁之间，而印度20岁及以下的人口也有35%。许多由青年领导的慈善组织如雨后春笋般出现在这两个国家，这些慈善组织试图引起公众对青年问题的关注，并且创造一些机会让公众关注社会正面临的挑战，这其中就包括气候变化的挑战。正如2007年联合国秘书长潘基文所说，他对青年抱有信心，并且认为青年是未来的领导者，他们具备适应新科技的优秀能力，并且能够利用这些科技造福人类，青年会成为变革的推动者。在2014年的印度大选和2013年的巴基斯坦大选中，青年已经成为主导性的决定因素。
凭借着涌动的热情和充满活力的行动力，青年已经开始在优化立法和用更加协调的方法解决诸如气候变化等问题上发挥领导作用。像美国这种发达国家的青年正在创造着许多创新型技术和用于减缓气候变化的技术，而像印度和巴基斯坦这样的发展中国家的青年也不甘落后。对青年来说，适应低碳生活没那么难，不仅因为他们受到过良好的教育，还因为他们具备一个额外的优势，这就是使用这些技术的能力。因此，在印度和巴基斯坦出现了许多由青年人领导的活动及组织。
We contacted some of these youth led organizations from both India and Pakistan to know about their efforts in detail about solving problems of their communities and societies in general and their efforts to create public awareness about climate issue. Among hundreds of such organizations we talked to Progressive Vellore’s founder Muhammad Sayeed Shokat. Sayeed, who is researcher with Doha based Qatar Foundation and runs his own youth led initiative in small district of Vellore, some 200 kilometers from south Indian state of Tamil Nadu’s capital Chennai, believes in change through research and awareness. His philanthropic initiative, Progressive Vellore named after the district Vellore, started merely a couple of year ago and aims at mapping air quality, water levels, recording agricultural development activities and keeping a track of urbanization in Vellore in order to bring in sustainable development which is in harmony with the local ecological settings of Vellore. Sayeed believes in participatory research and bringing change from grassroots and from local governmental level. Citing organization’s theory of change and strategy of networking, he says, “District-level change is what we believe in. Adaptation and transformation at a small community level is less tough than transforming the entire State or a nation. There are several examples across the world; vibrant, proactive, forward looking, strong community participation has transformed the community of living and harmony. Developing a shared vision is a key. Once the vision is created, strategies and targets have to be put in place and lobby with the local authorities to implement timely strategies.” 我们与这两个国家的这些组织进行了接触，并详细了解他们是如何解决社区和社会问题，以及如何引起公众对气候变化的关注。在数百个这样由青年领导的组织中，我们采访了Progressive Vellore组织的创立者默罕默德·赛义德·肖卡特，他认为研究调查和关注度能够带来改变。赛义德现在是多哈卡塔尔基金会的一名研究员，他经营的这个位于韦洛尔市慈善组织仅成立了两年，距印度南部泰米尔纳德邦的首府清奈200公里，Progressive Vellore这个组织的名字也是根据韦洛尔（Vellore）这个城市而命名。该组织旨在通过记录空气质量、河水水位、农业发展活动以及跟踪韦洛尔市的城市化进程让韦洛尔走可持续发展的道路，与当地的生态环境形成协调发展。赛义德相信参与研究是有意义的，认为当地的民众和政府能够带来改变。根据该组织关于变化的理论和网络战略，赛义德说道：“我们主张的是区级变化，虽然小型社区层次上的适应和转型不如改变整个国家般困难，但是世界上已经出现了许多这样的案例：活跃、主动、有远见的强大社区参与已经让社区的生活和和谐情况发生了改变。这其中的关键是要建立一致的观念，一旦形成了这样的观念，必须制定相应的战略和目标，并游说当局及时实施这些战略。”
On the other hand Sayeed complaints about the role media has played to bring about awareness and also criticizes government for over-politicizing the matter for the sake of gaining certain leverages on international platforms. Media brings covers news on climate change in very episodic way and often connects it to certain events happening during that time of coverage and there is no on-going coverage of climate change and other collective public issues in media while 24/7 news media broadcasts scandals and other sensational news round the clock so element of public awareness is missing and media by no means represents society. Young activists now use new media tools such as Twitter and Facebook to produce ripples but in countries like India and Pakistan where internet penetration rate is very low and internet is mostly used for leisurely purposes, it is difficult to bring about public awareness through only new media even though it is helping a lot recently. But because of huge chunks of population in both the countries are illiterate and also don't have access to internet so TV and radio are the main source of information in suburban and rural areas.
另一方面，赛义德对媒体在引发关注度方面发挥的作用表示不满，并且批评政府为了在国际舞台获得某些影响力而将其过度政治化。媒体对气候变化的报道也只有只言片语，通常这些报道还必须与当时发生的头条新闻相联系。媒体的报道中，没有关于气候变化方面的连续报道，也没有其他综合性的公共问题的报道，相反却时时刻刻充斥着丑闻和其他敏感新闻，这样便无法获得公众关注的基础，媒体也就不再能代表社会。现在，年轻的行动主义者利用推特和脸书这样的新媒体发声，但在印度和巴基斯坦这样的国家，互联网的普及度非常低，人们利用互联网主要是为了娱乐休闲，所以即便最近一段时间新媒体在引发公共关注上帮助很大，但要想完全依靠新媒体还是有一定的困难。虽然这两个国家有很大一部分人受到过良好的教育，但是他们却又没法接触到互联网，所以在城郊和农村地区，电视和广播成为他们获取信息的主要途径。
While international youth led organizations like 350.org and greenpeace are also working in India, an India based Indian Youth Climate Network (IYCN) has successfully registered itself in youth activism for climate change. IYCN operates to groom young climate leaders and has its presence in several colleges and universities across India. IYCN members work to generate consensus on what role India should play in the global debate of climate change, and how it should address its domestic issues. ShirkatGah, a civil society organization working on gender equality in 44 districts of Pakistan’s all four provinces, is a unique initiative in terms of raising awareness and fighting climate change with gender perspective. Organization has published several research based reports and papers on environment and globalization assessing the impacts of environmental changes on women in Pakistan. One of the studies titled “Poisoned Lives: The Effects of Cotton Pesticides” places the problems of women cotton pickers in the context of pesticide policies in Pakistan. It reviews the devastating ecological changes taking place due to the so-called “Green Revolution” and alternatives to pesticide dependence, and includes a number of recommendations for coping with the environmental ecological, and gender related problems emanating from use of pesticides in cotton farming areas of Pakistan.
与此同时，印度还有一些其他的由青年领导的国际组织，比如350.org和“绿色和平”组织。总部位于印度的“印度青年气候网络（IYCN）” 已经成功注册成为致力于气候变化中的青年运动的国际组织。该组织主要培养气候变化方面的青年领导者，并且已经在印度的一些高校中崭露头角。IYCN旨在促成印度在全球气候变化的争论中的角色共识以及解决国内问题。
Shirkat Gah是一个关于性别平等的民间组织，分布于巴基斯坦4个省份的44个区，同时也是从性别这个角度提升公众关注度和应对气候变化的独特首创。该组织发表了一些关于环境和全球化的研究报告，评估了环境变化对巴基斯坦女性的影响。其中有一篇名为“中毒的生活：棉花农药的影响”的报告提出了在巴基斯坦农药政策背景下女性采棉者所面临的问题。文章评论了所谓的“绿色革命”引发的生态巨变和为了避免作物产生农药依赖性的农药替代品，提出了在巴基斯坦棉花种植地区使用农药引发的性别问题及应对生态环境的建议。
Rab Nawaz, a young leader and head of Khudi.org’s Lahore chapter in Pakistan, opines that youth in Pakistan can change the course of history of the country provided that shown the right path. He describes how extremism has been on rise in Pakistan due to wrong policies and has adversely affected youth. His organization Khudi organizes events, seminars, platform, and conferences on civic education, constitutional literacy and extremism. “The whole ecological setting of our society is at stake because of conflicts and extremism so we try to deconstruct common discourse on extremism through meeting, seminars conferences, and trainings for youth”, Rab Nawz mentions efforts his organization takes to eradicate evil of extremism from society.
Hundreds of other such organizations like Progressive Vellore, Indian Youth Climate Network, Shirkat Gah, and Khudi are working both in India and Pakistan on range of issues encompassing youth in particular and whole society in general. Vibrant youth in these and other such developing countries is key to peace and sustainable development which is ecologically safe and climate friendly. What is required is improved and inclusive efforts by such youth led initiatives to bring youths from society together and build awareness and consensus on local, provincial, and national levels on all issues and problems including environment and climate change which would pressurize governments for favorable policies and actions accordingly to deal with all the issues. Youth is undoubtedly the future of India and Pakistan and it can easily make a difference with concerted efforts to change destiny of both the nations and also play its role in global climate mitigation and adaptation efforts.
巴基斯坦胡迪组织拉哈尔分会会长拉布·拉瓦茨是一名青年领导，他认为假如巴基斯坦的青年能够为国家指出一条新路，那么他们就能改变这个国家的历史轨迹。他向我们讲述了在巴基斯坦因错误政策而导致的极端主义是怎样愈演愈烈，怎样对青年产生负面的影响。他领导的胡迪组织主要从事有关国民教育、宪法规定的文化水平和极端主义方面的事件、研讨会和会议组织及平台搭建工作。“由于冲突和极端主义的影响，我们社会的整个生态系统岌岌可危，所以我们想要通过组织会议、研讨会和培训向青年解构分析关于极端主义的演说。”拉瓦茨还提到了该组织在消灭极端主义对社会造成的恶劣影响方面所做出的努力。
在印度和巴基斯坦，还有数百个类似于Progressive Vellore、印度青年气候网络、Shirkat Gah和胡迪这样的组织在两国同时运作，他们都研究具体的青年问题和总体的社会问题。在这样的发展中国家，活力四射的青年是国家和平和可持续发展的关键，并且这种可持续发展必须具备安全的生态环境和怡人的气候。这一切都需要青年领导的各种组织联合发力，让青年人从社会各个角落聚集起来，并且引发当地、省区和国家的关注，促成他们在这些问题上的共识。这样便能向政府施压，让政府针对这些问题制定更好的政策，采取更好的行动。毫无疑问，青年是印度和巴基斯坦的未来，只要青年人能团结起来共同努力就很容易有所作为，他们能够改变两国的命运。与此同时，还能在适应和缓解全球气候的行动中发挥作用。
今天，气候变化是地球面临的最关键的挑战之一。气候变化是一场极其可怕的灾难，会对人类造成巨大的损失，如果气候变化没有得到合理的应对，我们的社会就算不从地球上绝迹，也至少会成为一堆废墟。近年来世界各地发生的各种破坏性自然灾害正说明了这一事实：巴基斯坦的洪水、中国和印度的干旱、美国的飓风、东南亚的海啸、中国和世界其他地区的地震、非洲国家的饥荒、多个国家沿海地区的陆地被暴雨侵蚀等等。这些事件说明，气候变化的影响是多面的，人们必须对此抱有紧迫感，从各个方面应对气候变化。否则，地球整体的生态系统将会被彻底改变，人类也将从地球上消失。有些学者这样描述我们所面临的威胁:“这颗星球已经见证了许多物种的灭绝，它存在的时间已经超过了这些灭绝的物种，并且还将继续超过下一个将要灭绝的物种，而这个物种可能就是我们人类，到那时，我们也许没有机会看到再下一个会是谁。”
This is merely a glimpse of the whole picture and impacts climate change can cause to our planet. Efforts are being made to fight climate challenge at global, regional, and national levels all around the globe and even at provincial and district levels inside borders. Although these efforts differ in their capacity and range but an optimist would argue that something or other is being done to adapt and mitigate to climate change at almost all levels but all these efforts collectively are not yet sufficient enough to the extent which would save us from the avoidable climate impacts. United Nation’s expert bodies on climate change keep warning from time to time about lack of determination and efforts by the global community to fight climate change. Climate change is a global problem but can be fought within confines of borders at country level by all the nations of the world and then build a collective effort by the global community. Consensus has been reached on climate change and measures to adapt and mitigate to climate change but collective actions of the global community are not yet sufficient enough while time is ticking and situation is worsening. One reason behind such inaction as experts say, is that countries of the world don’t own this issue as they own or act towards other issues of national interest and thus with lack of political will to act towards solving this problem their action often lack the required zeal to deal with the issue. 以上所说的仅仅是冰山一角，气候变化对地球的影响远不止于此。现在，全球都在开展应对气候变化的行动，有世界性的、区域性的还有国家性的，有些国家甚至有省级的和区级的。这些行动的力度和覆盖范围不尽相同，乐观主义者会说，这些行动已经是从各个层面采取的适应和减缓气候变化的措施。但是，即便是这些行动全部汇总，也还是不足以使我们免遭气候变化的影响。联合国气候变化的专家经常对国际社会发出警告，指责其在应对气候变化上缺乏决心和行动力。气候变化虽然是一个全球性的问题，但却可以在国家层面得到解决，世界各国可以在自己的疆域范围内采取措施，然后再由国际社会将这些措施进行整合汇总。在适应和减缓气候变化方面，各国已经达成了共识，但是国际社会所采取的具体措施却远远不够，所以，随着时间一分一秒的流逝，情况却变得越来越糟。有专家指出，这些“不作为”背后的一个原因是因为各国并没有将气候变化的问题当作像其他关乎国家利益的问题一样看待，从而缺乏解决问题的政治意愿和热情。
Take India and Pakistan, for example, both the countries have been involved in conflicts over Kashmir, Siichin, Kargil, and other high altitude areas covered with glacial ice. Initially these conflicts started as more of geopolitical disputes but since both the countries are lacking water for their agriculture and power generation and with the changing climate the situation has worsened so, these conflicts have been fueled by changing climate and armed forces from both the countries keep trying to gain control over above mentioned places to tap water from these huge water resources from Karakorum range but at the same time there has been very few efforts to adapt and mitigate climate change and the biggest reason behind such inaction is public unawareness and lack of demand from common masses to fight against climate change. These conflicts have long destabilized the region and as a result ecological balance of the natural habitat is also disturbed. Apart from these conflicts governments from both the countries have been announcing policies to deal with changing climate but their actions have never matched their words. Pakistan a couple of years ago, cut down the allocated budget amount to fight climate change by almost half (total amount for environmental protection is already 0.04% of whole budget amount) while it had issued a national policy on climate change and had expressed determination to fight against climate change and thus its actions went into another direction contrary to its own national policies.
以印度和巴基斯坦为例，这两个国家都卷入了克什米尔、卡吉尔以及其他被冰川覆盖的高纬度地区冲突中。从一开始，这些冲突的发生就远非地缘性政治纠纷，而是由于这两个国家没有充足的水源供农业和发电使用，而随着气候变化的加剧，情况又更加恶化。所以，气候变化让这些冲突火上浇油，这两个国家武装部队都想占领并控制以上这些地区，从而获取喀喇昆仑区域庞大的水资源。然而，他们在适应和减缓气候变化方面采取的措施却是少之又少，这种“不作为”的最大原因就是公共关注度的缺乏，民众并没有应对气候变化的需求。这些冲突造成该区域长期处于不稳定的状态，当地的生态平衡也受到了影响。除了制造这些冲突，这两个国家的政府一直都有颁布应对气候变化的政策，但是他们的承诺从来都没有兑现。两年前，巴基斯坦将其应对气候变化的国家预算削减了几乎一半（环境保护方面的预算只有全部预算的0.04%），但同时该国又颁布了一项应对气候变化的国家政策，并表示了其应对气候变化的决心。由此可见，他的实际行动已经背离了国家政策。
Despite this gloomy picture of global politics and lack of concrete actions, there is a new hope in countries like India and Pakistan. “Youth” which is biggest chunk of the population from both the countries and young people being proportionally better literate are vying to make a difference in every walk of life including efforts to save their nations in particular and the world in general from impacts of climate change. Pakistan has 35% of its total population aged 15 or under and 47% of its total registered voters are aged between 18-35 years while India also has 35% of its whole population aged 20 years or less. Many youth lead philanthropic organizations have sprung up in both the countries and such philanthropic organizations are trying to bring about public awareness of youth related issues and problems along with creating awareness about challenges faced by societies including the challenge of climate change. As UN secretary general Ban Ki Moon in 2007 expressed his belief in youth by saying that these youth are leaders of future and with amazing capability of adapting to new technologies and using them for benefit of humankind they can be the drivers of change. Youth has been a dominant deciding factor in recent elections in India and Pakistan during year 2014 and 2013 elections respectively. Youth with their pulsating enthusiasm and vibrant activism have started leading efforts to demand better legislation and more tuned efforts to solve issues including climate change. While, in developed world like United States youth is also providing with innovative technologies and technology based initiatives to slow down climate change, youth in developing countries like India and Pakistan are not also behind those in developed world. Adaptation to low carbon lifestyle is easier for youth as they are not only better literate but also because of abilities to use technologies better they have an extra advantage. Many youth led activist organization have sprung up both in India and Pakistan.
尽管国际政坛和缺乏实际行动的国际社会呈现出这样一幅让人沮丧的画面，但是在印度和巴基斯坦这样的国家却出现了新的希望。在这两个国家中，青年人所占的比例最高，他们的受教育情况也更好，他们都希望在各行各业有所建树，其中包括具体的拯救自己的国家和总体上拯救世界。巴基斯坦15岁及以下的人口占全国人口的35%，该国47%的登记选民年龄在18-35岁之间，而印度20岁及以下的人口也有35%。许多由青年领导的慈善组织如雨后春笋般出现在这两个国家，这些慈善组织试图引起公众对青年问题的关注，并且创造一些机会让公众关注社会正面临的挑战，这其中就包括气候变化的挑战。正如2007年联合国秘书长潘基文所说，他对青年抱有信心，并且认为青年是未来的领导者，他们具备适应新科技的优秀能力，并且能够利用这些科技造福人类，青年会成为变革的推动者。在2014年的印度大选和2013年的巴基斯坦大选中，青年已经成为主导性的决定因素。
凭借着涌动的热情和充满活力的行动力，青年已经开始在优化立法和用更加协调的方法解决诸如气候变化等问题上发挥领导作用。像美国这种发达国家的青年正在创造着许多创新型技术和用于减缓气候变化的技术，而像印度和巴基斯坦这样的发展中国家的青年也不甘落后。对青年来说，适应低碳生活没那么难，不仅因为他们受到过良好的教育，还因为他们具备一个额外的优势，这就是使用这些技术的能力。因此，在印度和巴基斯坦出现了许多由青年人领导的活动及组织。
We contacted some of these youth led organizations from both India and Pakistan to know about their efforts in detail about solving problems of their communities and societies in general and their efforts to create public awareness about climate issue. Among hundreds of such organizations we talked to Progressive Vellore’s founder Muhammad Sayeed Shokat. Sayeed, who is researcher with Doha based Qatar Foundation and runs his own youth led initiative in small district of Vellore, some 200 kilometers from south Indian state of Tamil Nadu’s capital Chennai, believes in change through research and awareness. His philanthropic initiative, Progressive Vellore named after the district Vellore, started merely a couple of year ago and aims at mapping air quality, water levels, recording agricultural development activities and keeping a track of urbanization in Vellore in order to bring in sustainable development which is in harmony with the local ecological settings of Vellore. Sayeed believes in participatory research and bringing change from grassroots and from local governmental level. Citing organization’s theory of change and strategy of networking, he says, “District-level change is what we believe in. Adaptation and transformation at a small community level is less tough than transforming the entire State or a nation. There are several examples across the world; vibrant, proactive, forward looking, strong community participation has transformed the community of living and harmony. Developing a shared vision is a key. Once the vision is created, strategies and targets have to be put in place and lobby with the local authorities to implement timely strategies.” 我们与这两个国家的这些组织进行了接触，并详细了解他们是如何解决社区和社会问题，以及如何引起公众对气候变化的关注。在数百个这样由青年领导的组织中，我们采访了Progressive Vellore组织的创立者默罕默德·赛义德·肖卡特，他认为研究调查和关注度能够带来改变。赛义德现在是多哈卡塔尔基金会的一名研究员，他经营的这个位于韦洛尔市慈善组织仅成立了两年，距印度南部泰米尔纳德邦的首府清奈200公里，Progressive Vellore这个组织的名字也是根据韦洛尔（Vellore）这个城市而命名。该组织旨在通过记录空气质量、河水水位、农业发展活动以及跟踪韦洛尔市的城市化进程让韦洛尔走可持续发展的道路，与当地的生态环境形成协调发展。赛义德相信参与研究是有意义的，认为当地的民众和政府能够带来改变。根据该组织关于变化的理论和网络战略，赛义德说道：“我们主张的是区级变化，虽然小型社区层次上的适应和转型不如改变整个国家般困难，但是世界上已经出现了许多这样的案例：活跃、主动、有远见的强大社区参与已经让社区的生活和和谐情况发生了改变。这其中的关键是要建立一致的观念，一旦形成了这样的观念，必须制定相应的战略和目标，并游说当局及时实施这些战略。”
On the other hand Sayeed complaints about the role media has played to bring about awareness and also criticizes government for over-politicizing the matter for the sake of gaining certain leverages on international platforms. Media brings covers news on climate change in very episodic way and often connects it to certain events happening during that time of coverage and there is no on-going coverage of climate change and other collective public issues in media while 24/7 news media broadcasts scandals and other sensational news round the clock so element of public awareness is missing and media by no means represents society. Young activists now use new media tools such as Twitter and Facebook to produce ripples but in countries like India and Pakistan where internet penetration rate is very low and internet is mostly used for leisurely purposes, it is difficult to bring about public awareness through only new media even though it is helping a lot recently. But because of huge chunks of population in both the countries are illiterate and also don't have access to internet so TV and radio are the main source of information in suburban and rural areas.
另一方面，赛义德对媒体在引发关注度方面发挥的作用表示不满，并且批评政府为了在国际舞台获得某些影响力而将其过度政治化。媒体对气候变化的报道也只有只言片语，通常这些报道还必须与当时发生的头条新闻相联系。媒体的报道中，没有关于气候变化方面的连续报道，也没有其他综合性的公共问题的报道，相反却时时刻刻充斥着丑闻和其他敏感新闻，这样便无法获得公众关注的基础，媒体也就不再能代表社会。现在，年轻的行动主义者利用推特和脸书这样的新媒体发声，但在印度和巴基斯坦这样的国家，互联网的普及度非常低，人们利用互联网主要是为了娱乐休闲，所以即便最近一段时间新媒体在引发公共关注上帮助很大，但要想完全依靠新媒体还是有一定的困难。虽然这两个国家有很大一部分人受到过良好的教育，但是他们却又没法接触到互联网，所以在城郊和农村地区，电视和广播成为他们获取信息的主要途径。
While international youth led organizations like 350.org and greenpeace are also working in India, an India based Indian Youth Climate Network (IYCN) has successfully registered itself in youth activism for climate change. IYCN operates to groom young climate leaders and has its presence in several colleges and universities across India. IYCN members work to generate consensus on what role India should play in the global debate of climate change, and how it should address its domestic issues. ShirkatGah, a civil society organization working on gender equality in 44 districts of Pakistan’s all four provinces, is a unique initiative in terms of raising awareness and fighting climate change with gender perspective. Organization has published several research based reports and papers on environment and globalization assessing the impacts of environmental changes on women in Pakistan. One of the studies titled “Poisoned Lives: The Effects of Cotton Pesticides” places the problems of women cotton pickers in the context of pesticide policies in Pakistan. It reviews the devastating ecological changes taking place due to the so-called “Green Revolution” and alternatives to pesticide dependence, and includes a number of recommendations for coping with the environmental ecological, and gender related problems emanating from use of pesticides in cotton farming areas of Pakistan.
与此同时，印度还有一些其他的由青年领导的国际组织，比如350.org和“绿色和平”组织。总部位于印度的“印度青年气候网络（IYCN）” 已经成功注册成为致力于气候变化中的青年运动的国际组织。该组织主要培养气候变化方面的青年领导者，并且已经在印度的一些高校中崭露头角。IYCN旨在促成印度在全球气候变化的争论中的角色共识以及解决国内问题。
Shirkat Gah是一个关于性别平等的民间组织，分布于巴基斯坦4个省份的44个区，同时也是从性别这个角度提升公众关注度和应对气候变化的独特首创。该组织发表了一些关于环境和全球化的研究报告，评估了环境变化对巴基斯坦女性的影响。其中有一篇名为“中毒的生活：棉花农药的影响”的报告提出了在巴基斯坦农药政策背景下女性采棉者所面临的问题。文章评论了所谓的“绿色革命”引发的生态巨变和为了避免作物产生农药依赖性的农药替代品，提出了在巴基斯坦棉花种植地区使用农药引发的性别问题及应对生态环境的建议。
Rab Nawaz, a young leader and head of Khudi.org’s Lahore chapter in Pakistan, opines that youth in Pakistan can change the course of history of the country provided that shown the right path. He describes how extremism has been on rise in Pakistan due to wrong policies and has adversely affected youth. His organization Khudi organizes events, seminars, platform, and conferences on civic education, constitutional literacy and extremism. “The whole ecological setting of our society is at stake because of conflicts and extremism so we try to deconstruct common discourse on extremism through meeting, seminars conferences, and trainings for youth”, Rab Nawz mentions efforts his organization takes to eradicate evil of extremism from society.
Hundreds of other such organizations like Progressive Vellore, Indian Youth Climate Network, Shirkat Gah, and Khudi are working both in India and Pakistan on range of issues encompassing youth in particular and whole society in general. Vibrant youth in these and other such developing countries is key to peace and sustainable development which is ecologically safe and climate friendly. What is required is improved and inclusive efforts by such youth led initiatives to bring youths from society together and build awareness and consensus on local, provincial, and national levels on all issues and problems including environment and climate change which would pressurize governments for favorable policies and actions accordingly to deal with all the issues. Youth is undoubtedly the future of India and Pakistan and it can easily make a difference with concerted efforts to change destiny of both the nations and also play its role in global climate mitigation and adaptation efforts.
巴基斯坦胡迪组织拉哈尔分会会长拉布·拉瓦茨是一名青年领导，他认为假如巴基斯坦的青年能够为国家指出一条新路，那么他们就能改变这个国家的历史轨迹。他向我们讲述了在巴基斯坦因错误政策而导致的极端主义是怎样愈演愈烈，怎样对青年产生负面的影响。他领导的胡迪组织主要从事有关国民教育、宪法规定的文化水平和极端主义方面的事件、研讨会和会议组织及平台搭建工作。“由于冲突和极端主义的影响，我们社会的整个生态系统岌岌可危，所以我们想要通过组织会议、研讨会和培训向青年解构分析关于极端主义的演说。”拉瓦茨还提到了该组织在消灭极端主义对社会造成的恶劣影响方面所做出的努力。
在印度和巴基斯坦，还有数百个类似于Progressive Vellore、印度青年气候网络、Shirkat Gah和胡迪这样的组织在两国同时运作，他们都研究具体的青年问题和总体的社会问题。在这样的发展中国家，活力四射的青年是国家和平和可持续发展的关键，并且这种可持续发展必须具备安全的生态环境和怡人的气候。这一切都需要青年领导的各种组织联合发力，让青年人从社会各个角落聚集起来，并且引发当地、省区和国家的关注，促成他们在这些问题上的共识。这样便能向政府施压，让政府针对这些问题制定更好的政策，采取更好的行动。毫无疑问，青年是印度和巴基斯坦的未来，只要青年人能团结起来共同努力就很容易有所作为，他们能够改变两国的命运。与此同时，还能在适应和缓解全球气候的行动中发挥作用。