Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun/Dharamshala, 12 Jun: This World Environment Day, young people across Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh proved that the future of environmental action is already here, and youth are leading it.
Through a series of clean-up drives, waste collection initiatives, and community outreach activities organised under the YUWA movement, hundreds of young volunteers came together to take responsibility for their local environments and inspire collective action towards better waste management practices.
For the past two years, YUWA has been consistently building youth leadership through initiatives like Green Gurukul and EcoLympics, creating spaces where young people can learn, organise, and take meaningful environmental action within their communities. What began as youth engagement initiatives has now evolved into a growing movement of young changemakers actively leading environmental stewardship on the ground.
In Uttarakhand, YUWA Changemakers marked Environment Day through a week-long campaign featuring nine clean-up drives across Dehradun, one clean-up drive in Liti, Bageshwar, and a cloth collection drive at the Forest Research Institute (FRI), Dehradun. The initiatives engaged 315 volunteers and successfully collected and diverted 434 kilograms of waste to Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs), ensuring responsible waste management.
Despite heavy rainfall across Dehradun during the week, the spirit of the young volunteers remained undeterred. Changemakers carried out clean-up activities in the rain, reflecting a strong commitment towards environmental protection and community action. Several participants travelled over 15 to 20 kilometres through difficult weather conditions to take part in the drives, while many students balanced examinations and academic responsibilities alongside volunteering efforts.
The campaign also witnessed active participation from school students, college youth, and local community members, highlighting how environmental action is becoming increasingly youth-driven and community-oriented.
Meanwhile, in Himachal Pradesh, YUWA Changemakers and youth leaders organised six clean-up drives across different locations in and around Dharamshala. The drives engaged 275 community members through awareness-building and waste collection activities, encouraging stronger community participation in environmental stewardship.
Across both states, the Environment Day actions showcased the growing leadership of young people in addressing environmental challenges. From mobilising volunteers and coordinating logistics to leading waste collection and community outreach, YUWA Changemakers demonstrated that youth are not waiting for change — they are actively driving it.
YUWA is a youth-led movement that nurtures young leaders to take action on environmental and social challenges within their communities. Through leadership development, community engagement, and hands-on action, YUWA empowers Changemakers to create meaningful local impact while building a generation of responsible and active citizens.
Over the last two years, initiatives such as Green Gurukul and EcoLympics have enabled young people across regions to actively engage with environmental issues through learning, collaboration, and action. Today, YUWA Changemakers continue to lead initiatives that promote environmental sustainability, community participation, and positive social change.
