The Republic of Congo Commits to Reducing Climate Risks and Strengthening Urban Infrastructure and Sustainable Development – Global Center on Adaptation

Report on the 2025 ‘My Adaptation Solution’ Competition: Youth-Led Initiatives Advancing the Sustainable Development Goals

Executive Summary

On November 3, 2025, the Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) announced the winners of the ‘My Adaptation Solution’ video competition. This report analyzes the three winning projects, highlighting their direct contributions to achieving multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 13 (Climate Action). The competition demonstrates the critical role of youth in developing practical, community-based solutions to climate change, thereby advancing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Analysis of Winning Projects and SDG Contributions

The competition selected three winning initiatives from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and Cameroon. Each project provides a scalable model for climate adaptation that integrates environmental, social, and economic objectives in line with the SDGs.

Project 1: Urban Climate Resilience in the Democratic Republic of Congo

• Proponent: Linda Tatiana Balagizi
• Initiative: Implementation of green roofs and green belts in Kinshasa to mitigate urban heat, manage stormwater, and enhance biodiversity.
• Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals:
  • SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities): The project directly enhances urban resilience by transforming grey infrastructure into living, functional ecosystems that cool the city and reduce climate-related risks.
  • SDG 13 (Climate Action): This nature-based solution is a tangible adaptation measure to combat the urban heat island effect, a significant climate impact.
  • SDG 15 (Life on Land): The initiative promotes urban biodiversity and restores ecosystem services within a densely populated area.

Project 2: Water-Smart Agriculture and Reforestation in Rwanda

• Proponent: Benjamin Habintwali
• Initiative: Mobilization of students and farmers to plant climate-resilient trees and implement water-conservation techniques, linking educational institutions with agricultural communities.
• Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals:
  • SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation): The focus on water-saving practices contributes to sustainable water management in agriculture.
  • SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth): By restoring degraded land and promoting resilient farming, the project helps protect and sustain rural livelihoods and incomes.
  • SDG 13 (Climate Action): The initiative strengthens the resilience of agricultural systems and communities to climate variability and extremes.
  • SDG 15 (Life on Land): The project actively combats land degradation and supports reforestation efforts.

Project 3: Environmental Education for Community Action in Cameroon

• Proponent: Sunday Queeniver Ngwangung
• Initiative: An environmental education program that has engaged 7,000 students in planting 300 trees, creating a multiplier effect as climate knowledge and action disseminate to families and the wider community.
• Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals:
  • SDG 4 (Quality Education): The project champions education for sustainable development by equipping youth with the knowledge and skills to address environmental challenges.
  • SDG 13 (Climate Action): It builds adaptive capacity by fostering climate literacy and promoting local-level mitigation and adaptation actions like tree planting to combat drought and heat.
  • SDG 15 (Life on Land): The initiative directly contributes to afforestation and the restoration of local ecosystems.

Competition Impact and Strategic Context

Global Engagement and Youth Mobilization

The 2025 competition underscores a growing global movement of youth-led climate action, as evidenced by its significant reach and engagement:

1. Total Entries: 79
2. Participating Countries: 23
3. Public Votes Generated: 22,000+
4. Social Media Reach: 3 million people

Alignment with International Climate Frameworks

The ‘My Adaptation Solution’ competition is a component of the GCA’s Youth Climate Adaptation Action Day. The 2025 theme, “NDCs, NAPs, Youth and Adaptation,” strategically positions youth as essential partners in achieving national climate commitments. This aligns with SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) by fostering collaboration between youth, civil society, and governments to accelerate the implementation of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), which are central instruments for achieving SDG 13 (Climate Action).

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The article highlights several youth-led climate adaptation projects, which directly and indirectly connect to a range of Sustainable Development Goals. The primary focus is on climate action, but the solutions presented also address issues of urban sustainability, water management, terrestrial ecosystems, education, and economic resilience.

• SDG 13: Climate Action – This is the central theme of the article. The entire piece focuses on “climate adaptation,” “resilience,” and solutions to combat climate extremes like heat and drought.
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities – The project in Kinshasa, DRC, directly addresses urban sustainability by using green roofs and belts to cool the city and manage rainfall, making the urban environment more resilient and livable.
• SDG 15: Life on Land – The projects in Rwanda and Cameroon involve planting trees, restoring degraded land, and boosting biodiversity, which are core components of protecting and restoring terrestrial ecosystems.
• SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation – The solutions in the DRC (“capture rainfall”) and Rwanda (“water-saving practices”) are directly related to sustainable water management and increasing water-use efficiency.
• SDG 4: Quality Education – The project in Cameroon explicitly uses “environmental education” as a tool to combat drought and heat, mobilizing students and spreading knowledge to the wider community.
• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth – The article mentions that the projects aim to “shield livelihoods” and “protect incomes” from climate extremes, linking environmental action to economic stability.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the specific actions described in the article, several SDG targets can be identified:

1. Under SDG 13 (Climate Action):
   • Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries. The article’s core focus on “adaptation solution[s]” that shield communities from “climate extremes” like urban heat and drought directly aligns with this target.
   • Target 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning. The mention of youth consultations on “Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)” and “National Adaptation Plans (NAPs)” connects the youth actions to this high-level policy integration target.
2. Under SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities):
   • Target 11.6: By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities. The project in Kinshasa aims to “cut urban heat” and “capture rainfall” using green infrastructure, which directly contributes to reducing the negative environmental impacts of urbanization.
   • Target 11.7: By 2030, provide universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible, green and public spaces. Creating “green roofs and green belts” contributes to developing green spaces within the city.
3. Under SDG 15 (Life on Land):
   • Target 15.2: Promote the implementation of sustainable management of all types of forests, halt deforestation, restore degraded forests and substantially increase afforestation and reforestation globally. The projects in Rwanda and Cameroon, which involve planting “climate-resilient trees” and “300 trees” respectively, are direct actions towards this target.
   • Target 15.3: By 2030, combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil. The project in Rwanda explicitly works on “restoring degraded land,” and the one in Cameroon combats “drought,” both of which are central to this target.
4. Under SDG 4 (Quality Education):
   • Target 4.7: By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development. The Cameroon project, which focuses on “environmental education” for 7,000 students, is a practical implementation of this target, creating a “ripple effect as knowledge and action spread from schools to families.”

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

Yes, the article mentions several quantitative and qualitative indicators that can be used to measure progress:

• Quantitative Indicators:
  • Number of trees planted: The project in Cameroon has already mobilized students to plant “300 trees.” This is a direct indicator for SDG Target 15.2.
  • Number of people engaged/mobilized: The Cameroon project mobilized “7,000 students.” The overall competition “drew 79 entries from 23 countries,” generated “22,000+ public votes,” and “reached 3 million people on social media,” indicating the scale of youth engagement in climate action.
• Qualitative/Activity-Based Indicators:
  • Implementation of green infrastructure: The action of “scaling green roofs and green belts” in Kinshasa is an indicator of progress towards making cities more sustainable (SDG 11).
  • Adoption of sustainable practices: The adoption of “water-saving practices” by farmers in Rwanda is an indicator for improved water management (SDG 6).
  • Development of educational programs: The creation of “environmental education” initiatives in schools in Cameroon is an indicator for progress towards SDG Target 4.7.
  • Restoration of land: The act of “restoring degraded land” in Rwanda is a direct indicator for SDG Target 15.3.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: gca.org