Joyce Matua Bakoko is an International UNV Specialist currently serving with UNFPA’s humanitarian crisis response for Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar. She has been providing capacity building and advocacy in areas of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights for women and girls.

Ivy Chinogwenya, national UN Volunteer for Climate Change with UNICEF in Zimbabwe makes a difference by finding ways to mitigate pollution and increase responsible consumption with children and their families. Read below her first-hand account of her assignment and the work she is doing in the area of climate action.

Communities in Niger are heavily hit by the consequences of climate change which affects the environment and, in turn, the social and economic sectors including agriculture, health and livestock. Longer periods of drought cause a severe food crisis in many localities of the country, especially in Maradi in the South. But UN Volunteers are there to help communities respond to environmental challenges. Kimba Abdou Hassane, UN Volunteer in the rural commune of Azagor (North of Maradi), serves as a water and forest engineer.  Part of his role is to provide technical support to the municipality, close supervision of communities and regular monitoring of resilient activities for the benefit of vulnerable populations, particularly women.

Victor Igbokwe, international UN Volunteer from Nigeria serving in Lao PDR, is currently involved in implementing early warning systems in Bolikhamxay and Saravane provinces. One of his main responsibilities is to coordinate partnership between telecommunication companies and government agencies through a project funded by Luxembourg, which is designed to build capacities at the local level. This partnership helps ensure that information on preparedness for weather-related unpredictable conditions is disseminated equally among all members of the community - including the most vulnerable population.

Human-induced climate change is producing significant changes in the planet's climate system. Increases in temperature and changes in rainfall patterns are some of the effects already visualized in different regions of the planet, mainly affecting the most vulnerable populations that depend on their natural environment. Sergio Hinojosa, UNV International Specialist in FAO, supports the member states to achieve their objectives related to sustainable food and agriculture and resilience of rural livelihoods, by implementing their policies and commitments to the Sustainable Development Goals (mainly SDGs 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 13), the Rio Conventions, the Paris Agreement, and other related treaties, through sustainable management of land, soils, water, biodiversity and genetic resources.