Sundaram Tiwari
Pratapgarh: In the heart of Pratapgarh, Uttar Pradesh, where the Sai River once flowed freely but now struggles under the weight of neglect, a farmer’s son has emerged as a beacon of hope. Sundaram Tiwari, a 26-year-old with a bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy, is not your typical environmentalist. He’s a storyteller, a cyclist, and a grassroots visionary who has turned his village roots into a global mission for climate justice.
Selected to represent India and South Asia at the Asia-Pacific Youth Environment Forum and the 6th Asia-Pacific Ministerial Environment Forum in Nadi, Fiji, from August 26 to 29, 2025, Sundaram is set to bring India’s rural wisdom to a high-level UN stage. The forum, themed “Youth as Catalysts for Climate Justice,” will see him join environment ministers, policymakers, and youth delegates from over 60 Asia-Pacific nations to tackle the region’s escalating climate crisis.
Sundaram’s journey began in Pratapgarh, where he founded the Nature Green Future Trust. Through this initiative, he has trained thousands of young people in conserving water, forests, land, and the climate. His campaign to revive the Sai River sparked a people’s movement, uniting village councils, schools, and locals to restore its ecological and cultural significance. “The river is not just water,” Sundaram says. “It’s our identity, our stories, our survival.”
His approach is refreshingly unconventional. Pedalling across 10 Indian states on a bicycle climate awareness tour, Sundaram held over 150 grassroots dialogues, using folklore, village gatherings, and local songs to demystify climate challenges. His “Letter to Nature” campaign, which saw thousands of children pen heartfelt messages to the environment, has been adopted by schools nationwide, blending creativity with climate education.
Beyond the grassroots, Sundaram’s influence extends to policy. As a member of YOUNGO, the youth constituency of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and part of the UNEP Youth Network and Young India Climate Community, he has shaped environmental strategies at the state and international levels. His efforts earned him the State Youth Award from the Uttar Pradesh government, a nod to his blend of ecological passion and social impact.
Aman Kumar, Coordinator of Climate Cardinals India, lauds Sundaram’s selection as “a testament to India’s climate consciousness.” He adds, “Sundaram carries not just data, but the empathy and wisdom of rural India to the global stage.”
Self-financing his trip to Fiji with support from local organisations, Sundaram embodies resilience. His story—from a small village to a UN platform—shows that climate solutions can spring from the soil of community, culture, and commitment. As he prepares to share India’s rural innovations and life-affirming practices in Fiji, Sundaram is not just crossing borders; he’s redefining how the world sees climate leadership.
India, and indeed the world, can take pride in Sundaram Tiwari—a young man proving that change begins not in conference halls, but in the heart of a village, with a vision as boundless as the planet he seeks to save.
– global bihari bureau
