Victoria Falls World Heritage Site Youth Ambassadors

The Victoria Falls World Heritage SiteYouth Ambassadors advocate for regional and national support structures to reduce negative environmental impacts around the UNESCO-listed Victoria Falls World Heritage Site.

UNICA established the Youth Ambassadors network across Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe and Livingstone in Zambia, with the support of the Next Generation Board on Climate Change, Global Green Grants Fund (GGF).

Unsustainable activities are common within the Victoria Falls site core zone. A major challenge is firewood being harvested from the area due to the rising need for energy. Many of these environmental challenges stem from a lack of environmental education among the community. Therefore the Youth Ambassadors aim to educate the local community as well as advocating for the environment in regional and national forums.

Much of the local economy of Victoria Falls also relies on the core zone of the World Heritage Site. The Youth Ambassadors therefore seek to promote sustainable tourism. Local tourism operators are encouraged to incorporate principles of sustainable consumption and production into their daily operations.

The Youth Ambassadors project focuses on young people, as it is today’s youth who will be called upon tomorrow to sustainably manage the environmental challenges of the future, including climate change.