Flood Green Guide Youth Champions reflect on lessons learned

Last year, nine young leaders from Africa, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America and the Caribbean gathered in Colombo, Sri Lanka as the first participants in World Wildlife Fund’s Flood Green Guide (FGG)  Youth Champions Program . The goal was to co-create the Flood Green Guide youth engagement program in order to inspire the next generation of leaders to become change agents in their communities and advocates for nature-based approaches to flood management. 

During a week full of strategy and training sessions, role playing serious games, and instruction from leaders in flood management, they gained a foundational understanding of nature-based flood risk management, disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation concepts. At the heart of it, is  Natural and Nature-Based Flood Management: A Green Guide (Flood Green Guide) , developed by WWF in partnership with the Bureau of Humanitarian Affairs of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID/BHA).  

We recently caught up with three of these youth champions to find out how they have applied the lessons and skills learned during the program into their work and studies. 

Where are you living and what activities are keeping you busy?  I am living in The Netherlands, I came to do a MSc. at The University of Twente on Natural Disasters and Disaster Risk Management with an Excellence scholarship from the Faculty of Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation Faculty (ITC).

Looking back at the last year, how have you been able to use the knowledge and experiences you gathered from the FGG Youth Champions pilot program?

Now I have more tools to work with the communities on flood management. I developed my advocating skills that have been crucial in finding resources for disaster management projects in Colombia. My mind expanded with the experience and opportunity to know other fellows that are facing similar problems in a completely different world location. I believe that exchanging our different experiences, our flood histories, and also learning from FGG pilot program instructors gave us a basic set up for advocating on climate change adaptation and specifically on flood management using the FGG. 

Have you been able to advocate for natural and nature-based flood management? If not, why? If, yes, can you tell us one example of how and the context in which you were able to promote them? 

I have been busy with my studies so I have not had the time to be committed on a full time basis, but I have participated on a couple of projects supporting a main team. I have had the opportunity to replicate some of the workshops that we received in Sri Lanka with professionals, students and affected communities, and also I created a new online version of some of the workshops. For my MSc. I built a proposal for a multi hazard risk impact based forecasting model, that allows us to understand what are the possible impacts for an specific event and focused on the communities to give them tools to make decisions and plan their territory. 

Which key barriers are you still facing in your efforts to build a more resilient future? 

It is tough to get opportunities abroad without the proper Visas. Also the funding is not flowing in the correct directions and it is difficult to secure a good amount of money for long term projects. There are several  projects that  start, but it is difficult to engage the communities when you are an outsider and secure continuity. This brings a lot of instability for long term objectives.  

What is next for you in the upcoming year and anything else you’d like to share? 

Definitely I need to get my thesis done. I am negotiating an internship with the UN and the  Red Cross here in the Netherlands to work on a project related to landslides around the world, I  hope I will get the position.  To all the champions, you need to continue working for a better society on all the different fronts. We need to be in academia, on the streets, in the private sector, in the NGOS. Every effort counts and every voice will help to make us louder and clearer. Keep up the hard work and I have missed you all.

Where are you living and what activities are keeping you busy?  I am currently in Rwanda, actively searching for graduate school opportunities and a new job. Additionally, I’m volunteering with various organizations to advance my career.

Looking back at the last year, how have you been able to use the knowledge and experiences you gathered from the FGG Youth Champions pilot program?  The knowledge and experiences gained from the FGG program have been instrumental in my work, particularly in designing new projects. For example, I’ve integrated innovative approaches to addressing flooding issues by promoting Nature-based Solutions (NbS) raising awareness among youth and other community groups. 

Have you been able to advocate for natural and nature-based flood management? If not, why? If yes, can you tell us one example of how and the context in which you were able to promote them? 

Yes, I have been able to advocate for natural and nature-based flood management. One example is when my team and I were drafting a project proposal. Initially, they were relying on conventional methods, but I encouraged them to incorporate flood vulnerability assessments and Nature-based Solutions to complement the existing hard infrastructure solutions in the project site. There were radical terraces constructed to protect the area from landslides and flooding, but the absence of trees was a concern. As part of the project in the Rusizi River Basin, Nature Rwanda planted trees along the terraces.

Which key barriers are you still facing in your efforts to build a more resilient future?  The key barriers I face include limited technical skills and knowledge about Nature-based Solutions for flood management among the team. Additionally, organizational dependence on a single source of income and the technical capacity of the team have hindered the integration of new ideas into ongoing projects.     What is next for you in the upcoming year and anything else you’d like to share?  In the coming year, I plan to pursue graduate studies and/or a new job.  Thank you for following up on the program's impact. I believe there is potential for enhancing the program's effectiveness, particularly by supporting champions in implementing projects focused on Nature-based Solutions for flood management. The program appeared to be long-term, yet the support seemed to conclude after the initial training and follow-up meetings. If sustainability is a goal of the program, there’s a need to review the next steps after in-person training.

Where are you living and what activities are keeping you busy? 

I am currently living in The Bahamas on the island of New Providence. I am completing my time as a Consultant with the Inter-American Development Bank working on the Climate Resilient and Coastal Management and Infrastructure Program. I am transitioning in my new role as the Assistant Director responsible for Planning, Mitigation & Research with the Disaster Risk Management Authority in The Bahamas. Looking forward to my new role and the exciting work ahead when it comes to hazard mitigation, management and response. Definitely hoping to do more work with flood mitigation and finding ways to incorporate NBS in the long-term planning efforts.  

Looking back at the last year, how have you been able to use the knowledge and experiences you gathered from the FGG Youth Champions pilot program? 

Yes. The FGG Programme provided me with a more indepth and technical understanding of flooding as a natural hazard, and flood risk management, which is all very relevant to my line of work. Working in disaster management in a Big Ocean State like The Bahamas, flood risk is a major hurdle for the country to overcome. With much of the country below sea-level flood management will be a constant issue in this line of work. 

This programme allowed me to gain a crucial understanding of flood risk and flood mitigation measures in a global context, not just in a theoretical context but also in a practical context as we went through the Flood Green Guide Manual to understand the role and importance of risk assessments, and choosing the best option for a NBS to each of our local contexts. This programme allowed me to see flooding as its own standalone hazard, rather than continuously lumping it with other major and frequent hazards in The Bahamas such as Hurricanes. With this knowledge, I hope to tackle flooding issues in the country.  

Have you been able to advocate for natural and nature-based flood management? If not, why? If, yes, can you tell us one example of how and the context in which you were able to promote them? 

Not much. While working with the IDB, a critical aspect of the Climate Resilient and Coastal Management and Infrastructure Program was that one of the islands with 4 project sites would all be a Nature Based Solution to managing coastal erosion and flooding. After seeing the possibility, and the government's growing interest in finding sustainable ways to manage flood risks. This gives me hope that while working with the government there are opportunities to increase that interest in using more NBS in hazard management.  

 Which key barriers are you still facing in your efforts to build a more resilient future? 

A major barrier would be a national awareness of climate and hazard risk, and what that means on the ground for the everyday Bahamian, now and in the future. I think a huge push in political will is the demand and interests of the population. If the population were made more aware of these issues, and what that impact looks to them as a normal citizen, and how this can look in the short term and long term on a day to day, then I think we can make bigger strides in building a more resilient and sustainable future. 

What is next for you in the upcoming year and anything else you’d like to share? 

Looking forward to my new role with the Disaster Risk Management Authority and the work that needs to be done for the betterment and advancement of the country. As this is a new entity I do foresee a lot of challenges to overcome as we strive towards our strategic goals. And being a young woman in a managerial leadership position I do expect other hurdles to overcome. But I am always excited for a new challenge and I look forward to the work ahead. I'm hoping to reach new Personal Records in the gym. I look forward to spending more time with my family, dog, and friends. I also see myself returning to school in the near future.