Rituraj Phukan

Rituraj Phukan is an author, TEDx Speaker, adventurer, climate activist and naturalist based out of Assam. He is the Founder of the Indigenous People’s Climate Justice Forum, Convenor of the Mahabahu Climate Forum, a Co-Founder of Smily Academy, a Director of Healthy Climate Initiative, and a member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature. 

Rituraj has been an invited speaker at several UN Climate Conferences (SB52, COP26, COP27, COP28, COP29) and UNCCD COP16. He was also a delegate to the first meeting of the new Subsidiary Body on Article 8(j) and Other Provisions of the Convention on Biological Diversity related to Indigenous People and Local Communities that took place in Panama City last year. He was a speaker at the inaugural Indigenous Food Policy Summit hosted by the New York Hunter College recently and featired during the Right Here, Right Now Global Youth Climate Summit, hosted by the Saïd Business School, University of Oxford last year. 

Rituraj is the author of two books - “Everyday Climate Action: A Handbook for Gen Z” and “Climate Justice 101: Empowering Community Leadership.” The later has also been translated and published in Assamese. 

Rituraj has conceived and executed projects leading to the greening of barren sandbars and degraded areas in different locations of Assam, with over 2.7 million saplings/cuttings planted and nurtured to trees, under the guidance of Padma Shree Jadav Payeng, the Forest Man of India.