Priyanka Digari

Priyanka is a grassroots climate activist from Uttarakhand working at the intersection of forest conservation, youth leadership, and community resilience through her work at the ARPAN organization. By mobilizing over 200 youth across 35 villages in Didihat, Kanalichhina, and Dharchula, she has transformed forest fire management from awareness to action, leading collective efforts to extinguish critical wildfires in 2024.

Her approach bridges traditional ecological knowledge with modern conservation, placing local governance and community ownership at the center. Through her Forest Fire Prevention Campaign, she collaborates with Gram Panchayats, forest officials, and youth groups, using creative outreach like street plays and district-level engagements.

Working across 60 villages, Priyanka is building a network of 600 young leaders focused on climate-resilient agriculture, water conservation, and native tree restoration. By embedding environmental stewardship into village development plans, she is fostering a sustainable, community-driven model for protecting Himalayan ecosystems.

She was recognized as a Green Guardian in 2025 by iVolunteer and YuWaah-UNICEF, and continues to work in the Himalayan Region to continue advocacy for forest fires.