Greta Thunberg quickly became a leading voice in contemporary climate activism, despite her young age and non-elite status. But even with her popularity and success, some argue that she has become both a hero and a villain.

When Padma Thinles was 11 years old, he lived in a city called Leh, in the northern Indian territory of Ladakh, on the Western side of the Himalayas. Then, it was a small village with streams brimming with freshwater. Now, “forget the streams,” said Thinles, who is now 21 and still lives in the region.

In Chisapani, Ramechhap district, a remote corner in eastern Nepal, the snow-fed Tamakoshi River cascades down the Manthali valley, but residents in upstream villages pray for a few drops of rain. Scorching heat has turned these high hills into a barren landscape.