🎓 As I just graduated from my master’s degree in Environment & Development at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), I am deeply concerned about environmental challenges and have made conscious choices to reflect these concerns in my lifestyle. I’m passionate about finding solutions to better consider the environment in our actions and motivated to make a difference by promoting environmentally conscious behaviours.

🗞️ Because climate change lacks tangible aspects and environmental information can be complex, it can be difficult to grasp its immediate impact. Many of us can also feel discouraged or lack the tools and motivation to make a difference. I'm interested in exploring ways to empower individuals to take action at their levels.

🤝 I believe in the power of individual action, and the importance of accessible information to understand where we can make a difference and the consequences of inaction. I also believe that to find effective ways to communicate about environmental issues, we must first understand people's perspectives and identify where the communication gap lies. And this is where the journey of this research idea began.

I plan to explore two key areas through interviews with local individuals I’ll meet along the way:

1. Public Perception of Environmental Issues: I aim to investigate how individuals understand and respond to intangible, global, and multidimensional challenges such as climate change and biodiversity loss. 🌏

2. Local Environmental Initiatives & Success Stories: I’d like to highlight successful initiatives that prioritise community engagement and nature-based solutions to address global challenges at the local level. 🌻

🙅‍♀️ While we are often mindful about recycling or limiting food waste, reducing the amount of fly we’re getting on usually takes a backseat. We tend to consider the sky and our atmosphere as limitless resources which do not belong to anyone. Yet, they belong to everyone, and by ignoring the harm caused by flying, we’re putting everyone at risk. Each flight pollutes our air, heats our planet, and threatens our future.

🤯 While many other areas are making strides to reduce their carbon footprint, this industry is a glaring exception: its contribution to global warming keeps climbing every single year (Climate Action Network, 2024).

🗺️ I also believe that travelling through different countries, rather than flying over them, not only gives you a better understanding of the distance you're travelling but also allows you to discover countries you might never have seen otherwise. It's a unique opportunity to enrich your trip with unexpected encounters and to learn about different cultures.

🐌 It’s time to rethink our travel choices and prioritise greener alternatives. Let's choose to fly less often, especially for short distances when we can. To truly embody this idea, I'll be embarking on a flight-free journey to India. Let's walk the talk, one footprint at a time.

Source: ‘Comment Réduire le Traffic Aérien de manière juste et efficace’ - available in French only.

🎒 Coming back from my three-month solo trip to Southeast Asia in 2023, I was captivated by this region and knew I wanted to explore more of Asia. When the environmental research project took seed into my mind, how could one not think of India?

📣 India is at the forefront of global climate change discussions. Its rapid economic growth, massive population, and significant social disparities present unprecedented environmental challenges. Throughout my master’s studies, India’s complex situation in global climate change discourses emerged repeatedly. I believe it will be a fascinating country to immerse myself in, observing and discussing major environmental issues.

❓ How do locals perceive issues like heatwaves, waste management, and pollution? What solutions do they envision at their level? And what initiatives are currently underway to address these challenges? Those are topics I’d love to discuss with local communities, and hear out different perspectives on such challenging questions.

Well, that’s always a tricky question for such a trip, but I can already share the countries I should be crossing, travelling by trains, buses, boats, and hitchhiking.

🇸🇮 Slovenia

🇭🇷 Croatia

🇷🇸 Serbia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

🇹🇷 Turkey

🇦🇲 Armenia

🇬🇪 Georgia

🇷🇺 Russia (in a transit visa)

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

🇺🇿 Uzbekistan

🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan

🇨🇳 China

🇳🇵Nepal

🇮🇳 India

For my way back, I’m considering getting myself on a cargo ship towards Europe, but happy to go with the flow and see what the opportunities are along the way!

The trip should take 8 months to a year, who knows…

👀 Unexpectedly, I am not asking for any funds as I’m currently working to finance this project. What I’m looking for is visibility to reach media support. And that’s where I need your help!

📲 Follow me on Instagram to give me support: ontheroadtoindia

👥 Subscribe to my page below!

I’ll be creating content on a regular basis here and on social media before and during the trip. From documenting what a trip to Asia without flying looks like, to creating portraits of inspiring individuals and organisations I’ll connect with, I can’t wait to share with you my once-in-a-lifetime adventure.

I’d love for my project to reach you, your friends, your family, or anyone who you think could be interested! Feel free to share this page and ask any questions or comments that might pop into your mind, I’ll be more than happy to read you and get in touch.

🙏 I’m incredibly grateful to Footprint Intelligence’s team for believing in my project and providing me a platform to host my page.