Assam youth to spotlight wetlands threat at IUCN World Congress in Abu Dhabi

Guwahati, Oct 7: Assam's youth Tanuj Samaddar has been selected to participate in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)’s World Conservation Congress to be held at Abu Dhabi from October 9.

Samaddar has been selected by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), a statement said, on Tuesday.

A resident of Rangia in Kamrup district, Samaddar is scheduled to participate in the thematic sessions of the commission and country-specific pavilions as well.

The theme of this year's congress, which will continue till October 15, is “Power of Transformative Change”.

He will also engage with policymakers and activists from across the globe to spotlight the growing threat of encroachment on Assam's wetlands, it added.

Currently pursuing his undergraduate studies in a college under the Delhi University, Samadda is a recipient of the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar.

He also serves as a member of the Commission on Environmental, Economic and Social Policy (CEESP) at IUCN.

The World Conservation Congress, held every four years, will be attended by nature conservation experts, leaders and decision-makers from around the world, according to the IUCN release issued on Monday.

The congress will constitute a "major milestone in the countdown towards the goals set for both the Convention on Biological Diversity and those agreed since COP21 in Paris regarding climate change", the statement added.

PTI