Eleven-year-old budding climate activist Dipika Narayan of Nakaikogo Sanatan Dharam School in Nausori has a message for her fellow Fijians.

She says: “Climate change will be detrimental for all of us.”

The young student attended a photo exhibition at the Suva City Carnegie Library which is part of a week-long Climate Change Exhibition.

The exhibition is organised by the COP23 Secretariat. The purpose of the activities was to enhance students’ understanding on climate change issues in a simple and interactive way.

On Monday there was a photography competition display, and children were invited to view images, with captions and then participated in an activity where they chose a picture which inspired them most and explained it relating to climate change.

Young Dipika said the photograph which inspired her the most from the COP23 Photography Competition was the blue starfish of Samoa.

Dipika said it had an interesting message.

“The picture shows that due to Climate Change the ocean temperatures increases.”

She said before the effects of rising ocean temperatures, it was easy for the starfish to survive.

“Today the starfish have no other options but to hide under the corals and shells to protect themselves from the heat of the sun.”

She said if this continued, they could become extinct.

“To stop this from happening we should take action against Climate Change, by avoiding pollution, practicing afforestation, following the 3Rs- Reuse, Reduce, and Recycle.

“Our future is in our hand and together we can protect our ocean and the Pacific.”

COP23 Presidency Secretariat Manager Communications and Stakeholder Engagement and Volunteer of the Suva City Carnegie Library, Patricia Mallam, said the event helped students understand the causes and then get them to commit to a climate action which they could champion during the school holidays.

The exhibition will end today.

Edited by Mohammed Zulfikar

Feedback:  lusiana.tuimaisala@fijisun.com.fj