Films of Change

The World Bank’s Social Development Department recently held a contest for short documentary films on the social dimensions of climate change.

The contest included a Young Voices of Climate Change Award for filmmakers under the age of 24. Youthink! met with the winners to get some inside info on their film. Check out the video above to get the scoop.

Reading the contest guidelines, I was struck by the broad range of categories. The expected impacts of climate change reach far beyond what many of us realize. The categories were:

• Conflict: As climate change results in scarcity of resources and economic and, in many cases, political instability, how may it lead to social unrest and armed conflict?
• Migration: Are there any links between climate change and population migration?
• Social Policy: How do governments prepare effective social policy to meet climate change challenges?
• Drylands: What is the social response in drylands related to climate change?
• Urban Space: How do climate change adaptation measures take into account the needs of the poor in the urban environment?
• Rural Institutions: How do local level institutions in agrarian societies build capacity to handle risks associated to climate change and deliver solutions?
• Indigenous Peoples: How are Indigenous Peoples responding and adapting to the impacts of climate change?
• Gender: Are there different implications of climate change for men and women, boys and girls? How or where can instances of this be seen?
• Governance: How can social accountability be promoted in climate action?
• Forests: What are the threats and opportunities for local communities in efforts to reduce emissions from deforestation and degradation?
• Human Rights: What are the human rights implications of climate change?