Teen activist calls out world leaders for inaction on urgent crisis impacting young people: 'We are ready to contribute today'

A teenager from Tajikistan is showing how one young voice can echo far beyond her community — prompting leaders to take young people seriously in talks about the global shifts in weather and temperature.

In an interview with the UN News, Fariza Dzhobirova, a young environmental activist, reminded world leaders that the warming planet isn't a far-off problem — it's here now, and the youth are ready to help find solutions.

Dzhobirova first recognized the urgency of the issues within her community. Growing up in a country where glaciers provided more than 90% of the freshwater supply, she said she experienced the impact of rising global temperatures firsthand.

For several years now, Tajikistan has been steadily losing its glaciers. The Glacier Lake Outburst Floods in Central Asia shared that communities have been facing dangerous floods and mudflows strong enough to wash away homes. What's even more concerning is that the glacier-covered area in most of the Hindu Kush–Himalaya region is projected to shrink to less than 30% of its 2020 expanse at an increase of 4.0 degrees Celsius (7.2 degrees Fahrenheit), according to a report by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development.

The problem stretches far beyond Central Asia. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration noted that glaciers are shrinking every year, contributing to sea-level rise and threatening natural and human water supplies worldwide. A World Economic Forum summary of a 2025 Science study estimated that 39% of global glacier mass could disappear if current warming trends continue.

Instead of staying silent, Dzhobirova is speaking out. She first stepped into climate advocacy through a Model UN conference on glacier preservation. Just weeks later, she went from simulation to reality — serving as a panelist at the High-level Conference on Glaciers' Preservation in Dushanbe.

Speaking on behalf of her generation, she urged world leaders to include the young people in discussions and decisions about the planet. She pointed out that the youth should not be excluded from making decisions on matters that affect their present and shape their future.

Her message hits on something many teens feel today. A recent study found that 85% of young people worry about how climate change will affect their lives. And, like Dzhobirova, many believe the best way to tackle that fear is by getting involved and being heard.

Bloomberg Philanthropies also launched the Youth Climate Action Fund to help 100 cities worldwide embrace the voices of the youth (aged 15 to 24) to develop and enact planet-friendly policies.

These stories show what the youth of today are — bold, urgent, and unwilling to be left out of climate decisions. Across the U.S., youth councils and local programs are opening seats at the table, from city halls to school boards — one path is to join local efforts like donating to causes to protect our ecosystem.