Afroz Shah

Event Description

Afroz Shah is an Indian environmental activist and lawyer from Mumbai. He is best known for organizing the world's largest beach clean-up. In 2016, Shah was awarded the United Nations Champion of the Earth title for singlehandedly initiating & leading the clean-up of Mumbai's Versova Beach. Starting in October 2015, Shah began manually picking up trash with a neighbor. Over several years, the movement grew to thousands of volunteers and removed more than 20 million kilograms of plastic and debris.

Summary

Through the Afroz Shah Foundation, he has expanded his work to include the Mithi River rejuvenation, mangrove protection, and waste management training in over 25 villages. As of February 2026, Shah continues to lead massive citizen-led drives, recently clearing 8,000 kg of trash in a single weekend at Versova

Award Details

United Nations Champion of the Earth