Nepal's Miss World contestant, a tree hugger, believes she can flip climate action narrative

'I was living my entire life as an environmentalist: the clothes that I wear and the makeup that I put on my skin are all zero waste, they are friendly to the environment', Pradhan said.

Bengaluru/Hyderabad: Srichcha Pradhan, Nepal's candidate for the 72nd Miss World pageant, says she wants to flip the narrative when it comes to climate action plans. She wants to ditch grandiose plans stemming out of the 'saviour' complex and instead "push" people to reconnect with nature.

In an exclusive interview to PTI Videos, Srichcha said since she was really young, she knew she "wanted to be there for the trees".

"I was living my entire life as an environmentalist: the clothes that I wear and the makeup that I put on my skin are all zero waste, they are friendly to the environment," said Pradhan.

But the penny dropped only when she undertook her pageantry journey and had to rearrange her thoughts.

"I realised I didn't want to save the environment, as much as I wanted to be with the planet," said Pradhan.

Thus stemmed her idea of a climate action plan, her Beauty With a Purpose (BWAP) project -- which is integrated with the Miss World contest, using it as a platform to drive social change.

"Being with the planet is enough. My climate action plan is not just about numbers and metrics and rushing to get the temperature right. It's about learning to respect the five elements of life - earth, water, fire, air and ether," said Pradhan.

Staying true to her words, just as the spotlight is shining brightly on her, thanks to the ongoing pageant, Pradhan has quickly put together a tutorial on sustainable fashion for the fashionistas on her Instagram page.

Choose natural fabric like cotton, muslin and linen, better still waste fabric patchwork; skip modern conveniences like plastic buttons and zippers for metal hooks and cloth loop buttons of yesteryears; when possible, get it sewn by local tailors or buy from local talents; re wear them as much as possible and pass it down. She means business too.

At the gala opening of the Miss World event on May 10 in Hyderabad, which saw millions around the world logging in to watch, Pradhan walked the talk. When her fellow contestants went for flamboyance, Pradhan gracefully glided on stage, draped in a heirloom white and pink, understated Nepali Dhaka saree -- a traditional muslin saree -- featuring motifs originally designed by the indigenous Limbu people of eastern Nepal.

Sharing her backstage picture of her in the saree on Instagram, Pradhan announced to the world that the saree was a "hand-me-down" from her mother, Rasila Pradhan.

"There is definitely a rise in temperature: summers come when it should be spring. And there is no denying that a lot of natural disasters are happening now more than before. Future generations will be born with plastics in their body, they'll be having more cancer rates as well. But I still believe we do not need to save the planet. Just respecting Mother Earth is enough," said Pradhan.

Pradhan believes nudging people towards that goal and tapping into the collective shift of perspective happening right now will bring in more tangible change than grandiose plans.

"So, I just want to say from the Miss World platform, it's time to slow down and really reconnect with who we are. That we must pay attention to even the clothes we wear, the makeup we wear, and be aware that they are releasing toxins into the environment," said Pradhan.