LAHORE: District Youth Assemblies in Muzaffargarh, Layyah, Jhang and Kot Addu have called for a dedicated youth department with district-level offices and advisory committees, and urged local governments to include climate adaptation in their development plans.
The two proposals were passed by majority votes during the second round of DYA sessions, where participants discussed local government elections, governance issues and the effects of rising temperatures on their districts.
One motion called for a youth department to oversee education, skills development, civic awareness, leadership, employment and other youth-related matters.
The second urged local governments to make climate adaptation a mandatory part of local and annual development plans.
The first day of the sessions focused on the Punjab Local Government Act 2025 and progress towards local government elections. Participants discussed the responsibilities of local governments and how residents could take part in decisions affecting their communities.
Babar Iqbal, Deputy Secretary and Member of the Board of Revenue, South Punjab, spoke about the Climate Resilient Punjab Vision and Action Plan 2024. He discussed difficulties in implementing provincial policies at the district level and the need for coordination among public institutions.
The DYA Secretariat presented a draft strategic action plan proposing measures to increase young people’s involvement in governance and policy decisions.
On the second day, participants screened digital storytelling videos they had produced about climate-related problems in their communities.
Javed Iqbal of the Doaba Foundation gave a presentation on heatwave risks in the four districts and their effects on local communities. He discussed the need to assess district-specific risks when planning for extreme heat.
During the Layyah session, Punjab Assembly member Somia Atta Shahani met DYA members and discussed their concerns and local issues.
The sessions for Kot Addu, Jhang and Muzaffargarh were held from Oct 1 to 6, while the Layyah session took place on Oct 16 and 17.
Each district held a two-day session attended by youth assembly members, elected representatives, government officials, civil society practitioners and subject experts.
The sessions were organised under the three-year initiative “Rising Leaders: Youth in Climate Leadership & Governance”, co-funded by the European Union and implemented by the Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency (PILDAT) in partnership with the Social Youth Council of Patriots (SYCOP).
Published in Dawn, October 20th, 2026
