Meet 14-year-old Climate Warrior Calling To Save Earth Before It’s Too Late

Ridhima Pandey, the young activist was barely 5-year-old when she saw devastating visuals of Uttarakhand floods in 2013. On the television, she saw houses being washed away and people crying because they have lost their family members and needed help. The little girl had one simple question, 'What's happening?' and that's when she got her first lesson about the environment from her mother.

From then on, Ridhima started having nightmares of floods, cloud burst, losing her house and parents to heavy rain, and eventually dying due to flood. A loud thunder at night would make her anxious. The young girl didn't want to live in this constant fear so she approached her parents who introduced her to the concept of global warming and how it results in flash floods.

When she was just 9 years old, Riddhima filed a petition in the National Green Tribunal (NGT) against the inaction of the government to mitigate climate change and protect the environment. The petition urged NGT to order the government 'to take effective, science-based action to reduce and minimise the adverse impacts of climate change in the country.'

In 2019, 11-year-old Ridhima along with 15 other young climate warriors, including Greta Thunberg, from 12 countries around the world presented a landmark official complaint to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child to protest the lack of government action on the climate crisis.

Taking their battle further, in 2021, Ridhima and 13 other youth activists filed a legal petition to the UN secretary-general urging him to declare a 'system-wide climate emergency'.

Ridhima says that she believes in bringing small changes for a brighter future. She believes that collective actions are required for bringing a change and building a sustainable tomorrow.