Smitha T.K.

I am a multimedia journalist with over ten years of experience reporting across South India on climate change, caste, conflict, politics and human rights. I currently work as an independent journalist with Deutsche Welle, BehanBox. I have previously reported for ABC News, Greenpeace India and Article 14, The Quint, NDTV and Hindustan Times. In the past two years, I completed the Chevening South Asia Journalism Programme in the U.K. and the International Visitor Leadership Program in the U.S. I also led a workshop on reporting Sri Lankan refugees at a DW Akademie conference in Thailand. I have conducted workshops on the International Plastic Treaty with Consumer Action Group, moderated discussions on sustainability, and trained in One Health (Sunway University, Malaysia), and NELD (Sunderbans, EJN). I collaborated with BITS Pilani and RMIT Australia on community-driven climate action. Based in Chennai, I have extensively covered Tamil Nadu’s recurring water crises, examining the intersections of policy, climate and sustainability. I was also invited to deliver a TEDx talk on the hidden costs of climate change. My reporting has contributed to tangible impact, including mobilising financial support for a visually-challenged couple during the pandemic and prompting infrastructure changes following coverage of civic neglect.