My initiative is designed for and delivered in London
Yes
I am 18 years of age or above, by the application deadline.
Yes
My organisation is a registered UK entity and has a London-based address.
Yes
My organisation is a non-profit (e.g. school, university, or local authority) — not a for-profit, which can only join as a partner.
Yes
If there is a for-profit organisation as a partner in my initiative, they work on a cost-recovery basis only.
Yes
My solution is implemented at scale, or if not, I have a clear business plan, a minimum viable solution (prototype, pilot, or proof of concept), and evidence of work or impact in London within your coalition.
Yes
I am aware that, if I am submitting more than one application to a Challenge run by Ashoka and Go! London, only one of them is able to progress through the stages.
Yes
Are you an employee (and their children and grandchildren) of Ashoka or any of its respective affiliates and participating advertising and promotion agencies?
No
I have read and accepted the Challenge Terms & Conditions
1
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Last Name
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Email address
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Are you an Ashoka Fellow?
Are you applying from an organization founded by an Ashoka Fellow?
If you are applying from an organization founded by an Ashoka Fellow, please specify the name and organisation of the fellow below.
Initiative Title
Empowering Pakistan’s youth to address climate change risks
Lead Organization Name
Fundamental Human Rights & Rural Development Association FHRRDA
My initiative is designed for and delivered in London
1
Year that you started/ registered your organisation
1998
Website URL(s) or Social Media Handles
www.fhrrda.org.pk
Initiative Stage
Idea (You have a solid concept and are hoping to get started in the future)
Sectors/Themes: What topic does your project most directly relate to?
Children & Youth
Initiative Summary: Describe your initiative in one sentence
Climate change is a global problem, but it has a disproportionate impact on Pakistan. Pakistan is one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change, despite contributing only 0.9 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. The country is already experiencing the effects of climate change, including more frequent and intense flooding, changes in rainfall patterns, melting glaciers, and an increase in vector-borne diseases. The role of youth in addressing critical issues like climate change must be reflected on. Youth are the global future, and the future will see intensified global challenges stemming from climate change. There is no better time than now invest and harness the potential of youth. This issue brief summarizes current climate change challenges in Pakistan, presents potential Pakistani climate change adaptation measures, and current US-Pakistan engagement and opportunities for further engagement. It also makes the case for Pakistani youth leadership in climate change initiatives by presenting a set of key recommendations, including: • Empowering grassroots and community leaders • Investing in education and knowledge that moves toward sustainable development. • Partnering with leading Pakistani universities to fund climate change fellowships. • Collaborating with the private sector to identify investment opportunities in climate change mitigation and adaptation.
Challenge Focus: What topic does your initiative most directly relate to?
Climate action through awareness and engagement
The Problem: What problem are you helping to solve and who will benefit the most from your solution? How close are you to the problem and/or community impacted?
Pakistan through loss of life, public infrastructure, and shelter. Loss and damage reports suggest millions more have and will continue to be affected through agricultural asset and production damage and loss.This has profound implications for food security, especially as inflation continues to run rampant. The consequences of climate change further exacerbate security concerns, as more and more people run out of options to feed themselves and their families and also lack shelter. This year Cyclone Biparjoy almost hit Karachi, Pakistan’s most populated city. This is only one instance of disaster narrowly avoided. As monsoon rains continue to ravage Pakistan, support beyond what was provisioned for the aftermath of the 2022 flooding will be needed. Balochistan, for example, long neglected by both the Pakistani state and the international community, has seen unprecedented rainfall-triggered floods this past summer. Given the conditions Pakistani youth are facing, it is no surprise that privileged and educated young people and professionals are leaving the country whenever possible, furthering the brain drain. Actively involving local stakeholders, particularly those most vulnerable to climate change like youth, women, and the rural population, is integral to enhance climate-change-related decision-making and governance. There is a missing connection between climate change
Your approach: How are you addressing the problem outlined above? How are you using the power of sport and physical activity to build awareness, shift behavior, and enable sustainable participation for all in response to the climate crisis? We'd love to know about the origin of your idea, and what was your "aha" moment" that led you to take action?
These engagements promise great value to the FHRRDA org relationship and meaningful progress on the climate change front but must further engage and center the population that will bear the brunt of implementing changes. Here, the States Pakistan could further involve youth by placing them in direct conversation and contact with policymakers. By introducing young people into these dialogues, the Green Alliance framework can be strengthened and made more relevant. Youth can contribute by providing their perspectives on the curricula currently being restructured, what the majority of the population needs to drive further climate adaptive measures, and how to leverage generational-specific experiences, like navigating climate change through global social media landscapes. Youth are the most affected by climate change. They also have the most to gain from addressing the crisis. The FHRRDA Pakistan should engage to empower youth through: • Organizing a youth summit on climate change to bring together young climate activists from both countries to share their experiences and learn from one another. This summit would help build a network of young climate activists in South Asia and also increase awareness of the climate crisis among young people. • Strengthening existing partnerships with Pakistani research institutes, universities, and organizations to share knowledge and expertise, and to support research on and development of climate change solutions. • Involving youth in decision-making processes on climate change. This can be done by engaging Pakistani youth voices through the Green Alliance framework, like the Energy Security Dialogue or the FHRRDA-Pakistan Climate and Environment Working Group. Subsequent meetings could be used to launch a youth advisory council
Collaboration with young people and the community: In what ways does your initiative engage young people and community members closest to the problem? What role do they play in building the solution you deliver?
While provincial governments have a key role to play in uplifting youth leadership in climate adaptation initiatives, the federal government can also support initiatives by: • Providing grassroots and community leaders with training and resources on climate change adaptation and mitigation. For example, the Pakistani government could create a working digital network to connect grassroots and community leaders through the MOCC and provisional governments to promote knowledge sharing and overcome geographic and gender barriers. To begin with, the MOCC could translate its existing climate change resources into Urdu to help create inclusive science communication that is responsive to popular understandings of climate, nature, and natural catastrophes. • Providing students, teachers, and community members with training on climate change adaptation and mitigation. The Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training could collaborate with researchers, educators, and learners to construct curricula responsive to local needs. By investing in education, the impact of initiatives like the Prime Minister’s Youth Laptop Scheme could be furthered as youth would be able to leverage their understanding of climate change through the digital landscape. • Collaborating with the private sector to identify investment opportunities in climate change mitigation and adaptation (e.g., green energy production, infrastructure development, etc.). The private sector has much to gain through investment and contracts
Potential for/Evidence of Impact: How do you imagine your initiative will make a difference in raising climate awareness, shifting behaviors, or reducing environmental impact or harm? If you have already implemented it, what difference have you made so far? What is the impact your initiative has had¡, and/or what impact do you envision having in the future?
• Climate change affects the environment in many different ways, including rising temperatures, sea level rise, drought, flooding, and more. These events affect things that we depend upon and value, like water, energy, transportation, wildlife, agriculture, ecosystems, and human health. • Climate change is a major threat to people's health. Climate impacts are already harming health, through air pollution, disease, extreme weather events, forced displacement, pressures on mental health, and increased hunger and poor nutrition in places where people cannot grow or find sufficient food
Innovation: What is different about your initiative compared to other solutions that are already out there? How is your approach original and innovative?
Innovation involves transforming creative ideas into practical, value-adding solutions that stand out in a competitive market. Unlike mere incremental improvements, true innovation changes how people behave, improves systems, and often disrupts existing industries. Here is what makes this initiative's approach different, original, and innovative compared to existing solutions: Disruptive Value Proposition: Rather than simply improving upon current, existing products (incremental innovation), this initiative introduces a [radical/architectural - insert type] change that targets underserved segments or offers a simpler, more accessible, and cost-effective alternative to market leaders. Originality in Design: The initiative adopts a [unique, user-centric, or technology-driven] framework that reimagines the problem-solving process. Instead of copying established, traditional methods, it approaches the challenge by [insert specific, unique method, e.g., using AI for personalization, applying a circular economy model, etc.]. Holistic System Integration: While competitors focus on a single, isolated feature, this initiative integrates [technologies/services/processes] into a comprehensive ecosystem that offers superior efficiency, higher quality, or greater convenience. Behavioral Change & User-Centric Focus: This approach doesn't just provide a tool; it redefines how users interact with the product or service, fostering new, more efficient, and user-friendly behaviors.
Roles and Responsibilities: Describe how responsibilities are shared among your team or partners.
Sharing responsibilities effectively within a team or among partners requires clearly defined roles, aligned goals, and transparent communication. By distinguishing between roles (positions/titles) and responsibilities (specific tasks), teams can reduce overlap, improve productivity, and enhance accountability.
Viability and Scalability: How are you setting your organization up for success, and what is your plan to ensure operational sustainability of your solution and its impact? What are your ideas for scaling your initiative to the next level?
By empowering its youth to tackle climate change, Pakistan can make meaningful strides in becoming a more secure, safe, and adaptable home to its citizens, while simultaneously leading LMICs in youth-led climate adaptation initiatives. Youth voices shape the future. To set the standard moving forward, it is integral to meaningfully engage with and involve them in these processes
Upcoming Milestones: Please provide an overview of the milestones that are required for your initiative to come to fruition/ to grow.
To empower Pakistan’s youth to effectively address climate change risks, the initiative focuses on moving from awareness to high-impact leadership and policy integration. Key upcoming and required milestones for this initiative include: Integration of Climate Literacy into Curricula: Establishing climate change education across all formal schooling levels to move beyond basic awareness toward a deep, actionable understanding of environmental stewardship. Institutionalizing Youth in Policy Formulation: Moving beyond "symbolic" participation to create formal mechanisms—such as a Youth Advisory Council—where young voices directly influence national climate and disaster management frameworks. Scaling Youth-Led Innovation Hubs: Transforming the Ministry of Climate Change into a "youth accelerator" or incubation center to nurture, fund, and scale community-based and tech-driven climate solutions. Launching Targeted Climate Fellowships: Partnering with leading universities to fund fellowships that enable youth to conduct research and lead engagement on climate-resilient agriculture and water conservation. Decentralizing Action to District Levels: Establishing localized training programs in vulnerable regions (e.g., Sindh and Balochistan) to address specific regional climate risks like flooding and drought through youth-led grassroots movements. Mobilizing Youth for Global Advocacy: Equipping youth delegates with the tools to represent Pakistan’s climate mandate at international forums like COP conferences, advocating for climate justice and the Loss and Damage Fund. Creating Digital Knowledge Networks: Developing digital platforms to connect rural and urban youth, overcoming geographic and gender barriers to share resources and best practices for adaptation.
Capacity-Building Participation and Support Funding: If you were to make it as a finalist, you will be required to participate in an 8-week capacity building programme. If funding/ cost is a barrier to your participation, we may be able to offer up to 10,000 GBP of grant money available to support you. Please break down below, if it is the case, what costs you would incur and you would need covered. (Please note that there are restrictions on how the grant money may be used; please refer to the T&Cs for further details (LINK).
Capacity Building funding provides much-needed support for what many organizations had been doing without: resources to strengthen leadership and boards, professional development, technology, evaluation, strategic planning, communications, etc 5 Essential Elements of Capacity Building • Organizational Development. • Human Resource Development. • Resource Mobilization. • Institutional and Systemic Development. • Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL
If you selected “Other”, please specify below.
Nil
