Ridhima Pandey

2021-06-23T05:05:25Z

2409:4053:380:CFC9:DC86:4962:D0F5:C40A:

{{Infobox person
| name = Ridhima Pandey
| birth_date = 2007
| nationality = Indian
| occupation = Student and environmental activist
| father = Dinesh Pandey
| awards = BBC's 100 women 2020
}}

'''Ridhima Pandey''' (born 2007) is a environmental activist from [[India]] who advocates for action against [[Global warming|climate change]]. She has been likened to [[Greta Thunberg]].<ref name="business-standard.com">{{Cite news|url=https://www.business-standard.com/about/who-is-ridhima-pandey |title=Who Is Ridhima Pandey |work=Business Standard India |access-date=23 April 2020}}</ref> When she was nine years old, she filed a suit against the [[Government of India|Indian government]] for not taking enough steps to combat climate change.<ref name="Independent-01Apr17" /> She also was one of the complainants to the [[United Nations]], along with several other young climate activists, against several nations' failure to take action against the climate crisis. <ref name=":0" />

== Background ==
Pandey lives in [[Uttarakhand]], a state in the North of India. Her father, Dinesh Pandey, is also a climate activist who has worked in Uttarkhand in this capacity for 16 years.<ref name=Independent-01Apr17>{{Cite web|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nine-ridhima-pandey-court-case-indian-government-climate-change-uttarakhand-a7661971.html|title=Meet the nine-year-old girl who is suing the Indian Government over climate change|date=1 April 2017|website=The Independent|language=en|access-date=23 April 2020}}</ref>

Pandey's home of Uttarakhand has been affected by severe weather over the past ten years. In 2013, over 1000 people died in [[2013 North India floods|floods]] and landslides.<ref>{{Cite news |agency=Associated Press|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jun/24/india-uttarakhand-floods-rescue-death-toll|title=India's death toll in aftermath of floods reaches 1,000|date=24 June 2013|work=The Guardian|access-date=2020-04-23|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}}</ref> Almost 100, 000 people had to be evacuated from the region.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-23093839|title=Many still stranded in India floods|date=28 June 2013|work=BBC News|access-date=23 April 2020|language=en-GB}}</ref> According to World Bank, climate change is likely to increase pressure on the water supply in India.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2013/06/19/india-climate-change-impacts|title=India: Climate Change Impacts|website=World Bank|language=en|access-date=23 April 2020}}</ref>

== Climate activism ==

=== Legal action against the Indian Government ===
At age nine, Pandey filed a suit against the Indian Government on the basis that they had not taken the significant steps against climate change that they had agreed to in the [[Paris Agreement]]. This court case was presented in the [[National Green Tribunal Act|National Green Tribunal]] (NGT), a court which was established in 2010 that deals solely with environmental cases. Pandey also asked the Government to prepare a plan to reduce carbon emissions and a nationwide plan to curb the impact of climate change, including reducing India's use of fossil fuels.<ref name=Independent-01Apr17 />

In an interview with [[The Independent]]. Pandey states:<blockquote>“My Government has failed to take steps to regulate and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which are causing extreme climate conditions. This will impact both me and future generations. My country has huge potential to reduce the use of fossil fuels, and because of the Government's inaction I approached the National Green Tribunal.”<ref name=Independent-01Apr17 /></blockquote>The NGT dismissed her petition, stating that it was 'covered under the environment pact assessment'.<ref name=business-standard.com />

=== Complaint to the United Nations ===

During her application for a Norwegian visa to go to [[Oslo Airport, Gardermoen|Oslo]], she heard about an organization for young climate activists. She approached the organization, and was selected to go to [[New York City|New York]] for the [[2019 UN Climate Action Summit|2019 United Nations Climate Action summit]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|last1=DelhiSeptember 27|first1=Press Trust of India New|last2=September 27|first2=2019UPDATED|last3=Ist|first3=2019 18:34|title=India's Greta Thunberg: All about 11-year-old climate activist Ridhima Pandey|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/gk-current-affairs/story/ridhima-pandey-indian-climate-activist-greta-thunberg-1603977-2019-09-27|access-date=2021-04-20|website=India Today|language=en}}</ref> During the summit, on 23 September 2019. Pandey with 15 other children, including [[Greta Thunberg]], [[Ayakha Melithafa]] and [[Alexandria Villaseñor]], filed a complaint to the [[Committee on the Rights of the Child|United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child]], accusing [[Argentina]], [[Brazil]], [[Germany]], [[France]] and [[Turkey]] to violate the [[Convention on the Rights of the Child]] by failing to address the [[climate crisis]] adequately.<ref name="childrenvsclimatecrisis">{{Cite web|title=#ChildrenVsClimateCrisis|url=https://childrenvsclimatecrisis.org/|access-date=23 April 2020|website=childrenvsclimatecrisis.org}}</ref> <ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://earthjustice.org/blog/2019-september/greta-thunberg-young-people-petition-UN-human-rights-climate-change|title=earthjustice.org|access-date=26 April 2020}}</ref>

=== Further activism ===
Pandey has called for a complete ban on [[plastic]], arguing that its continued production is the result of consumer demand. She has also called for the Indian government and local authorities to do more to clean the [[Ganges|Ganga River]].<ref name="business-standard.com" /> She said that while the government claims that it is cleaning the river, there hasn't been much change in the condition of the river. <ref name=":1" />

Pandey is quoted on her biography on Children vs Climate Change as stating her aim: <blockquote>“I want to save our future. I want to save the future of all the children and all people of future generations”<ref name="childrenvsclimatecrisis" /></blockquote>

==Awards==
Pandey was on the list of the BBC's [[100 Women (BBC)|100 Women]] announced on 23 November 2020.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2020-11-23|title=BBC 100 Women 2020: Who is on the list this year?|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-55042935|access-date=2020-11-23}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Climate change|Environment}}
* [[Environmental movement]]
* [[Prasiddhi Singh]]
* [[Haaziq Kazi]]

== References ==
<references />

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Pandey, Ridhima}}
[[Category:Indian activists]]
[[Category:2009 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Climate activists]]
[[Category:BBC 100 Women]]

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