Pretoria - President Jacob Zuma is expected to open a gathering of youths from more than 180 countries who will discuss climate change on Sunday.
The 185 youngsters, between the ages of 18 and 35, are participating in the six-day Africa Youth for Climate Change Summit.
Government representatives, the African Union, heads of corporate organisations, local municipal and council representatives, special interest groups and various youth development and non-profit organisations and also expected to address the summit.
Delegates will hand over a Youth Charter on Climate Change to Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe at the conclusion of the summit.
Noting the importance of the summit, Water and Environmental Affairs Minister and head of the South African delegation for COP17, Edna Molewa, said: "Youth play an important part in the fight against climate change, not only because they will one day inherit the earth, but because they have the power to make a difference today about climate change. One only has to look at our own history as a country to appreciate this."
One of the summit's objectives is to capacitate the youth with skills and knowledge to address the challenges faced by their local communities.
This comes at a time when the threat of rapidly accelerating desertification is threatening traditional livelihoods of populations in many African countries where people do not have the means to adapt to such natural disasters.
