Danube Watch 2/2017 - Sava Youth Parliament 2017
Sava Youth
Parliament 2017
On 2-3 June 2017 the sixth Youth Parliament of the Sava River Basin was held in Belgrade (Serbia). The motto for this year’s competition was “The Impact of Climate Change on the Lives of the Sava River Basin”. The event was attended by sixty students and teachers from nine secondary schools in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia and Slovenia. The Sava River Basin Commission is an observer of the ICPDR.
The Sava Youth Parliament is a platform that offers young people the perfect opportunity to present environmental works which they submit for the competition. The topics this year were reducing and adapting to climate change, showcasing how young people can change the decision-making process and ways to disseminate the important issues discussed in this year’s Parliament. The event was moderated by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the International Sava River Basin Commission (ISRBC) and young researchers from Serbia.
The basic aim of the Parliament is that the students taking part recognise the importance of sustainable management, exploitation and protection of water resources. They participate in discussions on climate change and its impact on the life in the Sava River Basin.
The lucky participants made a boat trip to an island on the Danube River in Belgrade – the Veliko Ratno Ostrvo – to attend the welcome ceremony and an introduction to all the schools from the participating countries. Students took a walk around the island and learned about invasive alien species in the water, which are becoming more prevalent as a result of climate change.
The following day, a new committee was selected and a new president appointed. The Parliament consists of the president from the host country and a representative from each of the participating countries. The river Sava, which flows through Slovenia, Croatia, along the northern border of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and through Serbia before discharging into the Danube in Belgrade was at the heart of the discussions and highlighted the importance of water as a connector in the Sava River Basin.
For the young participants, the Sava Youth Parliament is an amazing experience, bringing all participating nations together around a common goal: preserving and protecting the Sava River Basin. Only by working together, can we can solve the many problems that the world faces.
One winner Tim Kiseljak, a representative of YP from Slovenia, who came with his teacher, reflected on his experience with his classmates at the Bled Water Festival and spoke about working together for a good cause and encouraging young people to find their rightful place.
