KUCHING, Sustainability education should be prioritised within educational institutions to encourage volunteerism and civic engagement among youth so that they could foster a sense of responsibility towards their communities. Sarawak Youth, Sports and Entrepreneurs Development Minister, Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said strengthening the youth leadership will establish platforms for young leaders to engage in policy discussions on sustainable development. 'Our young people are the backbone of our future. By creating platforms where they can engage in meaningful policy discussions and integrate sustainability into our education system, we empower them to become tomorrow's changemakers.' He made these remarks when participating in a Policy Dialogue on Sustainable Development in the Tropics, one of the sessions at the International Conference on Tropical Sciences (TropSc) 2024. The conference is co-organised by the Academy of Sciences Malaysia (ASM) and Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) with the s upport of the Sarawak Government. Abdul Karim said youths should continue to be guided and supported to ensure that they have the resources to lead the charge for a more sustainable and equitable future. He added that youth were also at the forefront of technological advancements that can support sustainable practices as their familiarity with digital tools allows them to leverage technology. Also participating in the session were ASM Immediate Past President, Prof Emerita Datuk Dr Asma Ismail and Borneo Futures managing director, Prof Eric Meijaard. The two-day TropSc 2024 which started today aimed at responding to critical issues in the tropics such as climate change, biodiversity decline, deforestation and habitat loss. These issues were discussed in four tracks, namely tropical agriculture, tropical architecture and engineering, tropical medicine and tropical natural resources, with the involvement of local and international panellists. Approximately 300 participants from 20 countries are attending the conference, including from the United Kingdom, Singapore, Thailand, Australia, Colombia, Mexico, Brazil and Timor Leste. Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg will be officiating the event during the conference dinner tonight. Source: BERNAMA News Agency