Ghilachora Youth Fair: Empowering Youth For The Conservation Of Wetlands In Bangladesh

Across the globe, young people have been at the forefront of driving social changes. Specifically on environmental issues, there is an urgency for collaborative efforts, emphasizing the crucial contributions not only from local communities but also, from youth. USAID Ecosystems/Protibesh is well aware of the pivotal role of youth. To promote youth engagement in wetland conservation in Bangladesh, they organized a Youth Fair at the Ghilachora High School Campus in Fenchuganj Upazila, Sylhet Division.

Around 1,500 youths and local community members attended the fair on September 2, 2023. During the event, they enjoyed various entertaining activities, such as a puppet show, a maze, and a quiz competition, all to inform and engage youth about environmental conversation. The participants also learned about how to use Timby to report on and monitor environmental issues and situations.

Photo: Shuvra Dutta

By using Timby, they can now actively contribute to protecting the Hakaluki Haor, a marsh wetland ecosystem located in northeastern Bangladesh. Meaningful participation of the youth is crucial for the long-term conservation of the ecosystems.

Photo: Shuvra Dutta

Hakaluki Haor is one of Asia’s largest marsh wetland resources. It is rich in natural beauty and diversity of flora and fauna. Sadia Nusrat, an eighth-grade student, who participated in the fair pledged to be a conservation pioneer of Hakaluki Haor. She learned that human interference has made it difficult for fish, birds, and flowers to thrive in Hakaluki Haor. Sadia is one of many young people who gained new perspectives and information during the fair, an important achievement for a sustainable future of the wetland ecosystem of Hakaluki Haor.