Archana Soreng, a climate activist from India, has been named by United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to his new advisory group comprising young leaders, aged between 18 and 28 years, who will provide perspectives and solutions to tackle the climate crisis.
Soreng joins six other young climate leaders from around the world who have been named by Guterres to his new advisory group.
She is "experienced in advocacy and research, and she is working to document, preserve, and promote traditional knowledge and cultural practices of indigenous communities," the United Nations said in a statement on Monday.
"Our ancestors have been protecting the forest and nature over the ages through their traditional knowledge and practices. Now it is on us to be the front runners in combating the climate crisis," said the young climate activist.
Here is all you need to know about Archana Soreng:
The climate activist is from Rourkela in Odisha. She has pursued B.A (Hons) in Political Science from Patna Women's College. Later, she studied M.A in Regulatory Governance from Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) in Mumbai.
She is the former National Convenor of Tribal Commission at Adivasi Yuva Chetna Manch, All India Catholic University Federation (AICUF).
Soreng is also the former Students' Union President of Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS).
Currently, she is a Research Officer at TISS Forest Rights and Governance Project in Odisha.
Meanwhile, the other selected members of the group are climate activist Nisreen Elsaim of Sudan, Fiji's Ernest Gibson, the co-coordinator for 350 Fiji, a regional youth-led climate change network, young economist Vladislav Kaim of Moldova who is committed to ensuring green and decent jobs for youth.
Sophia Kianni of the United States who has helped organise nationwide strikes and is the founder of international nonprofit Climate Cardinals, founder and coordinator of Generation Climate Europe and spokesperson for Youth and Environment Europe, Nathan Metenier of France and lawyer and human rights defender Paloma Costa of Brazil.
(With PTI inputs)
