Durban University of Technology (DUT) DTech Biotechnology student, Aluwani Nemukula has been selected as one of three Young South African Climate Change Ambassadors for the COP17/COY7 Conference in 2011…
Durban University of Technology (DUT) DTech Biotechnology student, Aluwani Nemukula has been selected as one of three Young South African Climate Change Ambassadors for the COP17/COY7 Conference in 2011. The initiative is driven by the eThekwini Environmental Planning and Climate Protection Department and is aimed at encouraging climate change leadership amongst youth.
29 year-old Nemukula from Thohoyandou in Limpopo is an innovative young scientist who is passionate about sustainable development, carbon neutral designs, biomass energy, and manufacturing of energy-efficient architectural and industrial products. As a climate change ambassador, he will work with the organising committee of the seventh annual Conference of Youth (COY7).
Nemukula is as an active environmentalist blogger for the United Nations University-Vice Rectorate in Europe; prior to enrolling at DUT he worked as a project intern at the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA). He holds a BSc in Biochemistry and Microbiology from the University of Venda and a BSc Honours and Masters in Biochemistry from Rhodes University.
In 2009 he was the first South African academic to receive the Green Talents award, in Germany, for outstanding research in the field of environmental technology. His research is focused on the production of biodiesel and other bio-products from microalgae, specifically from hypersaline environments whilst looking at metabolic modelling in order to enhance oil production. Nemukula’s research is in collaboration with the Institute for Water and Wastewater Technology at DUT and is supervised by Professor Faizal Bux.
He is also a visiting scientist at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) in Germany and mentors biotechnology students at DUT. Since 2002, he has been actively involved in research, environmental activism campaigns and partnerships and has presented academic papers and presentations at conferences and workshops in Europe, the United States, Zimbabwe and Botswana.
Nemukula is also expected to deliver a paper at the Climate Change and Food Security Conference in Nairobi, Kenya in November on Growth kinetics of Nannochloropsis species: Function of light intensity for extraction of high-value carotenoids and lipids. The research is focused on the economical production of pharmaceutical and antioxidant products using renewable materials which can ensure future security of biofuel and sustainable food.
He said: “It is indeed a great honour to represent South African Youth at COP17. As a Climate Change ambassador, I believe it is my responsibility to encourage change in youth perceptions on climate change and environmental sustainability. Society needs to understand the impacts of our activities and the consequences of our choices. It is of great concern that 44% of South Africa’s energy is used by only 36 companies and yet four million homes cook without electricity. Climate change is here and its effects are being felt globally. Reducing our carbon footprint and ensuring sustainable consumption and production should be an international endeavor, involving people of all ages.”
Nemukula said research revealed that due to poor or non-existent mitigation strategies, developing countries will be the most affected by climate change.
He said: “The youth have the power to change the course of future generations. It is important that we embark on daily greening projects and recycling initiatives to ensure a safe climate future. The change in sea levels and climate patterns is affecting the African natural biodiversity. There is a need for youth engagement in preservation, protection of our natural resources and biodiversity in Africa to ensure food security and prevention of extinction of our indigenous plant and animal species.”
COY7 provides a platform to establish a new movement of young people who are passionate about sustainability and climate change to learn new skills, forge new partnerships, international and inter-continental collaborations. Climate Change Youth Ambassadors will continue to work with municipalities across the country, beyond COP17, to bring about change in industry and civil society through policy, legislature and community initiatives.
Conference of Youth (COY7)
COY7 will be held at University of KwaZulu-Natal’s (UKZN) Howard College from 25-27 November. The three day event will precede the 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) that will be held at the Nkosi Albert Luthuli International Conference Centre, in Durban from 28 November to 9 December.
COY7 is aimed at uniting passionate youth to collaborate in upcoming environmental campaigns, research and innovations, building capacity and participate in skills workshops and entertaining activities.
More than 400 national and international delegates are expected to attend the event that promises to be fun with exciting activities and a wide variety of entertainment. Activities will run from 8am to 6pm daily and will include games, shows, a mixed media exhibition of posters, carbon- neutral artifacts, models made from recycled materials, live performances by South African artist and carbon neutral band, the Parlotones.
Climate change greening and sustainability projects will be sustained after the COY7 by the eThekwini Environmental Planning and Climate Protection Department, in an effort to bring awareness and implement change and local climate solutions in communities.
It is hoped that collaborative efforts by the youth across the world will reduce the carbon footprint and influence policy change and legislature in reducing hazardous industrial and domestic waste.
For additional information on the conference and online conference registration, visit http://youthclimate.org/coy7 or the Facebook page at http://on.fb.me/coy7durban
– Karishma Ganpath
