Climate Change & Environment: Lived Experience Advisory Group
The LEAG’s purpose is to ensure that lived experience leadership shapes our global discourse, national policy guidance, and advocacy initiatives at the intersection of climate change, the environment, and mental health.
CO-CHAIRS (2026-2027)
Name: Juan D. Pierre
City of residence: Curepipe, Mauritius
Juan is a 21-year-old climate policy expert, legal scholar, and youth advocate from Mauritius who has built one of the most substantive international portfolios of any young person in the climate space today.
He is the youngest person ever appointed to the UNFCCC Article 6.4 Supervisory Body, the expert mechanism responsible for overseeing the integrity of the Paris Agreement’s carbon crediting system. He serves simultaneously as a UN CTCN Expert driving clean technology access in developing nations, an IPCC Expert Reviewer contributing to the scientific backbone of global climate policy, and the SIDS Focal Point for the UN Major Group for Children and Youth — a role through which he represents the collective voice of 39 Small Island Developing States in UN processes.
Juan co-leads Mouvman Lavwa Dime (MLD), a Mauritian climate and democratic governance advocacy organization that has produced parliamentary submissions, co-authored loss and damage policy frameworks for local government workshops, and organized national-level discourse on historical accountability and constitutional reform.
Academically, Juan is a first-year LLB student at Université Paris-Panthéon-Assas, ranked 2nd in his cohort.
Name: Nihharika Maggo
City of residence: New Delhi, India
Nihharika is a Partnerships Consultant working across global health and climate, and a Lived Experience Advisor with global mental health organizations. Over 8 years, she has led partnerships and programs spanning climate action, public health, and financial inclusion, supporting governments, startups, multilaterals, researchers, and companies in APAC & EMEA. Her work on equitable lived experience engagement spans funding calls, innovation funds, capacity-building accelerators, and research projects. She has contributed to key policy and public engagement initiatives across COP and Climate Weeks globally. Niharika is also a Climatebase Fellow and a published author.
MEMBERS
Name: Sonali Varma
City of residence: Canberra, Australia
Sonali Varma (she/her) is a mental health advocate and public health researcher whose work spans government, academia, and community settings.
Sonali is a data analyst at the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare and a research assistant at the Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use. On the frontline, she has volunteered as an Accredited Lifeline Telephone Crisis Supporter and ReachOut Community Builder, and has advised on mental health initiatives for Lifeline Australia, the ACT Government, the Black Dog Institute, the Australian National University, and the University of Sydney. She also serves on the boards of the Australian Association for Adolescent Health and the Youth Coalition of the ACT.
A 2024 graduate of the Australian National University, Sonali was awarded First Class Honours in Population Health and the University Medal. As a 2026 Rhodes Scholar, she will pursue postgraduate studies at the University of Oxford to advance equity in global mental health.
Name: Lindokuhle Sibiya
City of Residence: Eswatini
Lindokuhle is a dedicated climate change and environmental advocate with focus on health, particularly mental health. As a public speaker and motivator, Lindokuhle inspires communities to prioritize environmental sustainability while addressing health challenges. Drawing from personal lived experiences, Lindokuhle has become a compassionate counselor, empowering individuals to navigate their mental well-being. As an advancing research assistant, they contribute to critical studies that inform effective climate and mental interventions. Passionate about capacity building, Lindokuhle trains community leaders to enhance awareness and education on climate, environment, and mental health fostering resilience and informed action.
Name: Sandra Caballero
City of residence: Mexico City
Sandra Caballero is a senior gender strategist with over 18 years of experience. She is a global practitioner with an extensive track record across Latin America working across energy, climate change, development, and social inclusion. She has collaborated with leading international organizations such as GIZ, IDB, UNDP, and SEforALL, contributing to the design and implementation of gender-transformative climate and energy initiatives. She was appointed by the Government of Mexico to serve as the country’s representative in the IPCC Gender Group.
She is a social entrepreneur leading multiple initiatives advancing climate action, gender equality, and leadership development. She is co-founder of Global Impact Girls, an initiative that empowers girls to become leaders in climate and sustainability, and serves as President of the Board of REDMEREE (Mexico’s Network of Women in Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency). She is also the founder of Gendergy, a platform advancing the gender-energy nexus.
Her current work is increasingly exploring more nuanced understandings of climate change and mental health. She explores what she refers to as the Invisible Climate Burden, a concept that seeks to capture the accumulation of chronic, often unseen stress shaped by caregiving responsibilities, social expectations, and climate-related uncertainty.
Name: Kristína Janačková
City of residence: Tübingen, Germany
Kristína Janačková (she/her) is an emerging researcher, writer, and mental health activist. She studied Media Studies (BA) and Literary and Cultural Theory (MA). Following her diagnosis of schizophrenia, Janačková redirected her academic focus from environmental humanities toward critical disability studies and medical humanities, with a particular interest in psychosis and other psychosocial disabilities. In addition to her research, she actively advocates for enhanced support systems for students with psychosis in higher education and serves as a Vice President of Management for global nonprofit organisation Students With Psychosis. She has spoken on psychosis in both academic and public forums across Europe and the United States.
Name: Imane Lakbachi
City of residence: Casablanca
Imane Lakbachi is a dedicated indigenous youth and gender equality advocate from Morocco, combining a background in tech with a deep commitment to advocacy at the intersection of digital innovation, health, and gender justice.
As the Director of Network Engagement at the International Youth Alliance for Family Planning (IYAFP), Imane works to strengthen a global network of young human rights defenders and amplify youth voices in the sexual and reproductive health, rights, and justice (SRHRJ) space. She also serves as IYAFP’s representative and is a Board Member at the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health (PMNCH).
Imane is also the #MyHealthFutures Youth Network Community Manager at the Digital Transformations for Health Lab (DTH-Lab) and the Lab’s Alternate to the WHO Youth Council.
In recognition of her exceptional contributions to social impact and youth empowerment, Imane was honored with The Diana Award in 2022.
Name: Taylor Locke
City of residence: Troy, New York, United States
Taylor Locke is an award-winning mental health advocate and international public speaker. From shaping community-based grassroots movements, to contributing to high-level policy reports with the UN, their work is centered on a decolonial model that promotes mental health equity and justice. Some of the roles they have held include serving on the Lived Experience Advisory Board for PLOS Mental Health, the international Board of Management for aves Mental Health (formerly the Global Mental Health Peer Network), and as a 2026 Next Gen Advisor for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) in the United States. They also currently work for NAMI New York State as the Schizophrenia Comprehensive Care Initiative Program Manager and are the North America Community Engagement Lead for Generation Mental Health Association’s Possibilities Collective. Prior to their current advocacy work, Taylor was enrolled in a full-ride military scholarship program to work on U.S. Navy Nuclear Reactors and graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute with honors in both mathematics and physics. They will be pursuing their MPH at the University at Albany beginning in Fall 2027 with concentrations in public policy and global health, where they plan to use this degree – combined with their lived experience and professional expertise – to continue fighting for improved policies and systems of holistic healthcare.
Name:Nida Wasim
City of residence: Karachi,Pakistan
Nida is a public health scientist with expertise in mixed-methods research, evidence synthesis, and interdisciplinary project leadership across low- and middle-income countries. In recognition of her leadership potential she was awarded a Chevening Scholarship, she brings a professional background spanning both clinical and research roles, offering a unique perspective on health systems and community-based programs. She has led research across non-communicable diseases, mental health, trauma, maternal and child health, and climate change, contributing to evidence that informs policy and practice. Nida is deeply committed to integrating lived experience into research, ensuring community perspectives shape study design, analysis, and policy translation. She has facilitated international capacity building initiatives and led workshops for health workers and emerging researchers and contributed to multi-country health programs.
She also serves as an honorary member of an Institutional Review Board, supporting ethical oversight and strengthening research governance. Her experience includes leading complex research studies, applying quantitative and qualitative analytical approaches, and mentoring researchers in LMIC settings. She is particularly driven to advance strategies that address the mental health impacts of climate events on vulnerable populations, with a focus on translating evidence into context-sensitive policy and advocacy. An experienced public speaker and panelist, Nida brings strategic insights to LEAG, supporting inclusive, evidence-driven global mental health initiatives and amplifying the voices of those most affected.
Name: Shahnoza Rakhmanova
City of residence: Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Shahnoza Rakhmanova is a manager of international affairs at the International Youth Environmental Committee based in Uzbekistan, and an International Relations student at Webster University in Tashkent. For the past 5 years, she has been a climate activist focused on climate education at a UK-based NGO and nationally, as well as on youth participation in climate policy processes like the NDC 3.0 development. She was the youngest negotiator of Uzbekistan’s delegation, following adaptation-themed negotiations at COP29 and COP30. She is a co-organizer of the first LCOY of Uzbekistan, and an author of the National Youth Statement, which guides national projects and initiatives, and contributes to global climate talks. The central goal of her work is to make climate dialogues and spaces inclusive of youth and underrepresented groups, contributing to a more just transition and society.
Name: Leonaitasi Hoponoa
City of Residence: Nuku’alofa, Kingdom of Tonga, South Pacific
Leonaitasi Hoponoa, born in Nuku’alofa in the Kingdom of Tonga, developed an early interest in psychosocial and environmental issues as well as community wellbeing, shaped by his firsthand experiences with climate-related and social challenges in the Pacific. He pursued studies in Philosophy, Anthropology, Psychology, and Social Services across various institutions, focusing on the intersection of education, values, and mental and emotional health in shaping human wellbeing. As a climate change advocate, mental and emotional health practitioner, and community leader, Hoponoa’s work centers on the relationship between social change, climate impacts, and mental health in Pacific Island communities. His contributions include exploring the connection between tolerance of uncertainty and the deepening of faith – emphasizing renewal of both mind and heart – developing community-based mental health initiatives that address social and environmental challenges, collaborating with local, regional, and international organizations, and advocating for the integration of mental and emotional health into climate and broader policy frameworks.
Name: Matrika Devkota
City of Residence: Kathmandu, Nepal
Matrika Devkota, the Founding Chairperson and Executive Director of KOSHISH, is a globally recognized mental health activist and self-advocate with lived experience of psychosocial disability from Nepal. As the Founder of KOSHISH, a leading national self-help organisation in Nepal, he has dedicated over two decades to advancing the rights and dignity of persons with mental health problems and psychosocial disabilities. A passionate champion of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) 2006, Matrika works tirelessly to ensure its principles are fully domesticated into Nepal’s laws, policies, regulations, and national plans. Through rights-based advocacy and community-led initiatives, he promotes CRPD compliance by empowering individuals with psychosocial disabilities via peer support, self-help groups and sustainable livelihood programs. Matrika’s work centres on the belief that recovery, inclusion, and self-determination are fundamental human rights and that persons with lived experience must lead the movement for change. His leadership has transformed mental health discourse and service delivery in Nepal, making KOSHISH a powerful voice for systemic reform and hope-driven recovery.