UN@80: Prasiddhi Singh – India's young eco-warrior planting hope

At just 12 years old, Prasiddhi Singh from India is a global inspiration for youth-led climate action. Sparked by the devastation of Cyclone Vardah at age four, she founded the Prasiddhi Forest Foundation spearheading the planting of over 150,000 trees across more than 110 locations.

Her "fruit forests" provide food, shade and biodiversity, embodying her "3G" philosophy: Generate oxygen, grow food, give back to communities. Prasiddhi's work aligns with UN efforts to empower youth in environmental solutions. UNICEF's 2024 report notes that 70 percent of Indian youth worry about climate change, with 80 percent reporting its impact on education.

Through initiatives like Green Rising India, UNICEF aims to engage 50 million youths in climate action by 2025, with 9.8 million already mobilized in 2024, planting 894 million trees. Prasiddhi, a speaker at TEDx and UN Climate Change Summits, has earned the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar and was named a 2025 Young Planet Leader. Her story, rooted in Tamil Nadu, shows that age is no barrier to fighting climate change. She is inspiring a generation to act for a sustainable future.