LocationsFrom the Ground Up: How Local Leadership is Powering India’s Climate Action
November 20, 2025
Kusum and Sahdev, Safai Mitras from Noida, have accessed social protection benefits that support their family and their work in waste management.
Leadership is not about titles. It shows in everyday actions that quietly shape communities. In India, this leadership is visible among waste workers who keep cities functioning, young women restoring coastal ecosystems, and indigenous fisherfolk caring for the waters that sustain them. Their work shows that climate action grows from the ground, guided by people who understand their environment because they depend on it every day.
From Waste to Worth – Waste Workers Leading Change
Noida, a major city adjoining New Delhi, relies heavily on informal waste workers to keep it running. In Bahlolpur Basti, one of its densely populated neighbourhoods, Kusum and her husband Sahdev have spent more than 25 years sorting plastic waste by hand. Their work supports recycling chains and keeps the city clean. It is physically demanding and often invisible.
“We collect plastic waste, sort it, and sell it. That is how we’ve survived,” says Sahdev.
One morning, Sahdev was injured and could no longer work. With no insurance or savings, the family was left vulnerable. “We never thought health insurance was for people like us,” says Kusum.
Their situation changed when a community worker from Shakti Foundation, a partner in UNDP India’s Project Utthaan, visited their home. The project connects informal waste workers, Safai Mitras, with government welfare schemes such as Ayushman Bharat for health coverage and NAMASTE for social protection.
With patient follow-up, Kusum and Sahdev obtained their documents, health insurance, and pension benefits. When Sahdev sought treatment using the Ayushman Bharat card, the family avoided medical expenses of about ₹80,000.
Launched in 2021, Project Utthaan is implemented in partnership with the Government of India, city authorities, civil society, and the private sector. It has enabled more than 27,000 Safai Mitras across over 30 cities to access healthcare, financial security, skills training, and community networks.
Kusum now supports other women in her settlement to enroll in welfare schemes. She has become someone others trust and turn to for guidance. By managing waste, enabling recycling, and mentoring peers, she shows how frontline workers strengthen climate resilience while building dignity and recognition.
Restoring Hope on the Coast – Women Leading Climate Action
Along India’s eastern coastline, the state of Odisha faces the Bay of Bengal. Here, most households rely on the sea for farming and fishing. Rising sea levels, stronger storms, and increasing salinity have made these livelihoods unpredictable. In this landscape, local leadership is central to how communities adapt and protect what they have.
Among those leading change is Babina Kandi, a climate champion from Puri district trained under the Enhancing Climate Resilience of India’s Coastal Communities (ECRICC) project.
Babina had always wanted to give back to her community. Becoming a climate champion gave her both income and a platform to lead. ECRICC, a collaborative initiative between the Green Climate Fund, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and the state governments of Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, and Maharashtra, with implementation support from UNDP, strengthens coastal resilience through ecosystem restoration and climate-adaptive livelihoods.
Babina Kandi is felicitated for her work on International Coastal Cleanup Day, celebrating community-led climate action.
In Odisha, 304 climate champions, mostly women, help nearly one million residents adopt sustainable practices. With support from the local organization Society for Women Action Development (SWAD) and technical guidance from UNDP, Babina has mobilized over 200 farmers to adopt System of Rice Intensification techniques that use less water and reduce emissions.
She has also helped form a women-led mud crab farming unit, diversifying income for local families. Beyond livelihoods, she organizes mangrove restoration activities, school awareness campaigns, and coastal clean-ups.
“At first, people doubted that I could speak on technical matters. Now they listen,” Babina says. “I am heard and respected. I have a new identity and I am working for my people.”
Guardians of the Mangroves – Indigenous Communities Leading Change
Parmanand Koli, indigenous fisherfolk leader from Maharashtra, stands by the creek which is the principal source of livelihood for his fishing community.
On India’s western coastline in Maharashtra, the Mahadev Koli community has lived by the Arabian Sea for generations. For fisherfolk like Parmanand Koli, the sea is both work and memory.
But the waters around Uran Creek, a coastal inlet near Mumbai’s growing port and industrial zone, have changed. Shipping traffic, chemical discharge, and the loss of mudflats have damaged mangroves and reduced fish populations.
Seeing this, Parmanand began mobilizing his village, Hanuman Koliwada, through Gram Sabha meetings to discuss environmental threats and collective responsibility. As Sarpanch, he helped form a Mangrove Co-management Committee with support from ECRICC and technical guidance from the Maharashtra Forest Department’s Mangrove Cell and UNDP India.
The committee focuses on conservation and climate-resilient livelihoods. A key priority has been strengthening women’s leadership and income opportunities. Through training on enterprise development and fish processing, women self-help groups have started small businesses.
In just one year, five groups with 35 women in Hanuman Koliwada have launched enterprises. Three more groups are preparing to start. Neighbouring villages are now following the model. In total, 48 women have started small enterprises, and 175 more are preparing to join.
Parmanand often reminds his community, “If mangroves survive, fish will survive. And if fish survive, fisherfolk will survive.” His approach blends traditional knowledge, community governance, and environmental stewardship.
From Local Courage to Global Climate Vision
As the world looks to COP30, these stories remind us that climate action begins with people who know their landscapes deeply. Their leadership advances SDG 13 (Climate Action), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 8 (Decent Work), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities), and SDG 14 (Life Below Water).
Investing in local leadership strengthens both ecosystems and the communities that care for them. When those at the margins lead the way, the path to a sustainable future becomes clearer for all.