Palavi
Kalambe

I graduated from Keele University in BSc Environment and Sustainability. I started my professional journey through internships in sectors ranging from building/construction, and sustainability research to renewable energy. I was also a Climate Fellow at the Maharashtra government's Environment and Climate Change Department, where I worked on several city and state-level projects and was first introduced to C40 cities. Inspired by C40 Cities' impact in bringing about climate action through their collaboration with policy-makers, it became evident that we can make significant impact through collaborations and partnerships to solve the climate crisis. To help me further understand such partnerships and transforming cities I am currently pursuing a MSc in Sustainable Cities from the University of Leeds.

PROJECT

The project aims to raise awareness of the importance of indigenous communities in Mumbai, their role in preserving the city's natural resources, years of cultural history and their traditional knowledge. As individuals, we can learn from them about living a sustainable lifestyle and also learn some nature-based solutions to our climate issues. We need to protect these communities, recognise their importance and include them in our climate discussions as they will be key in solving the climate problem.

The indigenous communities that attended COP 26 to demand climate action inspired me. Their role in protecting our lands, forests and biodiversity cannot be ignored. These communities protect 80% of the world’s biodiversity and we need to protect them to protect our environment. Also, these communities harbour centuries of knowledge that can help us devise nature-based solutions and teach us how to live sustainably. Spreading awareness about Mumbai's indigenous communities will help people recognise and appreciate their role in protecting our environment and hence highlight the need to protect them.

MOTIVATION FOR AND COMMITMENT TO CREATING A BETTER AND MORE SUSTAINABLE PLANET

I committed to studying and wanting to work in the environmental field at 15 when global warming was still a topic of debate. People all around me complained about air pollution but took little to no action. Everyone spoke about issues like plastic waste, endangered species and melting glaciers but no one was talking about their solutions. I was motivated to pursue this field by the sheer need for protecting our air, water and biodiversity. I have devoted my entire career to the environmental field and I want to make a significant impact in protecting our planet.

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