Bangladeshi youth climate leader and environmental communicator Sohanur Rahman has been named the winner of the Green Journalist Award at the 13th Balipara Foundation Awards, scheduled to be held on 11 December at Vivanta in Guwahati, India.
Sohanur is the Executive Coordinator of YouthNet Global, one of the largest grassroots youth-led climate organisations in South Asia, and a co-founder of the Climate Communicator Community in Bangladesh. He was recently featured by DW Bangla as a leading young climate influencer.
The award ceremony is part of a two-day gathering that will also include the Eastern Himalayan Naturenomics™ Forum on 10 December, where leaders and practitioners from across the region will convene to exchange knowledge and solutions for a sustainable future. Due to visa challenges, Sohanur will be joining the ceremony virtually.
The Balipara Foundation, an Indian environmental organisation based in Assam known for its renowned work on conservation and ecologically responsible development, announced the award recognising Sohanur’s contributions to environmental protection and climate communication across the region. The Foundation extended its congratulations and praised his efforts to strengthen ecological conservation and community resilience in South Asia.
In its announcement letter, the Foundation described Sohanur as “one of Bangladesh’s leading young climate communicators,” noting that his reporting has been instrumental in highlighting the realities of climate vulnerability. Through his documentation of coastal families, indigenous communities, young women, and climate-affected migrants, he has helped bring critical human stories to national and regional attention.
The letter further highlighted that Sohanur is the founder of YouthNet for Climate Justice, now YouthNet Global, one of South Asia’s most active youth-led climate networks. Under his leadership, young reporters have been trained to monitor climate impacts, identify policy gaps, and promote community-based solutions. His focus on youth mobilisation and people-centred storytelling has significantly shaped climate justice conversations at both national and international levels.
The Foundation also commended his representation of Bangladesh in global climate platforms, including advocacy on safer migration, community resilience, and justice-driven adaptation. His work, it noted, reflects values of empathy, accountability, and meaningful civic engagement.
Sohanur, who served as a youth representative in the Bangladesh delegation at COP27, COP29 and the recently concluded COP30, said the award is a motivation to continue amplifying frontline communities.
“This honour strengthens my commitment to telling the stories of those who live with climate impacts every day. Their voices must remain at the centre of our climate decisions,” he said.