Chat with Benora Desouza – Young Climate Champion

Benora Desouza and Aditi Sinha, August 12, 2022

As the impacts of climate change intensify with each passing year, more and more young people are joining the movement for positive change. We spoke with Benora Desouza, a young climate champion and nature lover. She shares her experiences on connecting with nature and the role youth can play in creating a more sustainable future for us all.

Great to meet you Benora. Please tell us something about yourself.

Benora Desouza – Young Climate Champion & Nature Lover

Thank you. I am 19 years old and living in Mumbai. I  am passionate about nature,  environment and wildlife. I love camping and enjoy spending time outdoors.  I am home-schooled, so everything I have learnt comes from my experiences and interaction with the environment.

What spurred your interest in these issues?

The world is undergoing a massive change right now. Both humans and wild life are feeling the impact of climate change. We see how climate change is affecting  biodiversity and species around the world. There is enough to show that climate change is human induced.

We have learnt so much from the environment, but whatever we build is constantly taken from the earth’s natural resources without us giving much back. We have forgotten that human life is dependent on nature for our very survival.  Nature plays a major role in regulating the climate by storing carbon dioxide. We need to be more careful about how we treat nature because nature’s resources are not limitless.

How can the youth contribute towards this movement?

Education and awareness is key for youth action. It is very important for young people today to be aware of the impact of climate change, especially over time. For example, tree cover is reducing despite the value that trees bring to the ecology and economy. Once can easily see the impact of beach pollution like plastic and trash. Each year, billions of pounds of trash and other pollutants enter the ocean. We need to be more responsible with the way we dispose our trash. Young people can be made more aware of these issues and also raise them in front of others.

You are a citizen of Mumbai. What are your thoughts about the impact of climate change in the city?

I grew up in Mumbai which was originally a cluster of seven islands. Now the city is more of a bustling concrete jungle with skyscrapers. It gets a lot of flooding and heavy rain during the monsoons, which has caused a lot of damage to life, property and the environment. The air can be quite bad because of road dust and construction. The loss of mangroves and biodiversity are major environmental issues today, which need a lot of focus.

You take children for nature walks in and around Mumbai. What has this experience been like?

On a Nature Walk with a Youth Group

I really enjoy connecting with children around nature. Getting kids outside and outdoor learning can be a key element in the fight against climate change. The kids interact with the natural environment first hand. Many of them have not seen so many trees, heard birds chirping or taken in such clean air while living in the city. Many are able to first hand understand the link between clean air and health issues. They will hopefully appreciate nature more and want to protect it. I am a big believer in environment and climate change being a key part of school curriculums.

You’d rightly mentioned earlier that resources are not limitless. How can we live more sustainably?

Waste is choking our planet polluting the air, water, and soil. What we really need to do is re-use and recycle what we use – cars, phones, electronics, whatever we can. Industry and manufacturers should play a greater role in the use of reuse, recovery, repair, and resale of products. We need to make sure that the valuable resources we’re taking from the planet to make the material aren’t quickly ending up as the trash polluting it.

Benora Desouza is a student, climate champion and nature lover. She currently resides in Mumbai.