Snehika Srivastava

Youth4Climate Delegate,
Pre-COP 27 Conference

Kuwait

​Snehika Srivastava is the recipient of the Award (Environment category) for the impact she created in education, labor conditions and climate change.

She is an 18-year-old student, author, and activist based in Kuwait and is dedicated to strengthening communal bonds through the power of storytelling and empathy. 

Growing up, Snehika quickly realized the importance of valuing our identities and heritage—what she calls “our stories.” Holding space for them and appreciating them is important to her. Her involvement in the United Nations’ work and personal research has allowed her to stimulate such conversation in her community. Her belief in experiential wisdom has allowed her to advocate for reform and policy action. To her, hope is the anchor through which humanity thrives. 

As a Youth4Climate delegate at Kuwait’s Pre-COP27 conference and Secretary General of Model United Nations at her school, she has worked to encourage youth advocacy in decision-making spaces by leading over 500 delegates’ discussions on global issues based on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Her work focuses on the intersections of youth civic engagement, economics, literature, culture, and the South Asian diaspora. She has conducted research on how low-skilled South Asian migrant workers navigate labor laws in the Middle East and hopes that her research will encourage radical, critical dialogue on the ethics of contractualization of labor for high-risk, low-income jobs.

Snehika’s book, (in)sight, also allowed her to tap into and articulate her innermost thoughts into meaningful poetry that aimed to open up spaces to discuss previously taboo topics. She finds purpose in her passion for creative expression and the belief that although we may see ourselves as ordinary people, we have extraordinary lives, and the wisdom we gain & the lessons we learn should not go unshared. Over 250 copies of her book have been sold and it is available to purchase on Amazon and local Jarir Bookstores.

Beyond her advocacy, she is also a musician and is trained in Hindustani classical music. Music is the lens through which she views the world, and its cultural syncretism has helped her connect with her communities and find a sense of belonging in them. Snehika also loves making playlists and is a huge Swiftie! She wants to remind you that you are loved and enough. She wishes you a kinder sea.