A Bangladeshi youth has been awarded the Diana Award for his efforts in tackling climate change and helping people affected by climate disasters.
The recipient is Shamim Ahmed Mridha, 24, according to a press release issued on Thursday.
Established in the memory of Diana, Princess of Wales, the award is given by the charity of the same name and has the support of both her sons, The Duke of Cambridge, and The Duke of Sussex.
Shamim Ahmed Mridha is the founder and chairman of Eco-Network – one of the largest youth groups in Global South countries.
Through his Climate School project, he has organized various workshops and training programs that provide climate education to more than 50,000 youths and children.
He has registered almost 10,000 “climate ambassadors” to his team, and they are using social and print media to spread their messages on climate change and the environment.
As well as advocacy, Shamim helps people build resilience to climate disasters. Due to the vulnerability of Bangladesh’s coastal areas to cyclones and floods, he organized a fundraising event that benefited 350 high-risk households.
Shamim Ahmed Mridha completed his undergraduate and postgraduate studies from the “Environmental Science” department, Bangladesh University of Professionals (BUP). He founded Eco-Network in 2018 with a vision of ensuring environmental sustainability globally. Currently, Eco-Network has campus teams at 35 universities of Bangladesh and “Country Chapter” in Nepal, Sri-lanka, and 23 other Asians, African countries.
Shamim Ahmed Mridha said: “I am incredibly glad to receive the most prestigious The Diana Award, and I believe that this recognition will encourage my team members to work more for nature and the environment.”
