Oscar-winning actor and environmental activist, Leonardo DiCaprio has come forward to lend his star-power to draw attention to India’s “vanishing” small rivers.
Taking to his Facebook profile, the star wrote, “India’s rivers are severely endangered with many of its smaller rivers vanishing.” He went on to share a link of an NGO to encourage fans and fellow environmentalist to join the cause and help the initiative.
It was only a few months back that the actor got the world buzzing about the water crisis in Chennai. Sharing a picture that highlighted the crisis, his caption read, “Only rain can save Chennai from this situation.” A well completely empty, and a city without water. The southern Indian city of Chennai is in crisis, after the four main water reservoirs ran completely dry. The acute water shortage has forced the city to scramble for urgent solutions and residents have to stand in line for hours to get water from government tanks. As the water levels depleted, hotels and restaurants started to shut down temporarily, and the air con was turned off in the city’s metro. Officials in the city continue to try and find alternative sources of water – but the community continue to pray for rain. Tap the link in our bio to read more about Chennai’s water crisis.”
The actor, who has been very vocal about climate change, was also instrumental in raising an alarm about the raging fires in the Amazon basin last month. From championing the cause and even using his star-power to meet and influence people of power, the actor even dedicated his Oscar-winning speech to raise awareness.
He said, “Climate change is real. It is happening right now. It’s the most urgent threat facing our entire species and we need to work collectively together and stop procrastinating.”
Dicaprio continued, “We need to support leaders around the world who do not speak for the big polluters, but who speak for all of humanity, for the indigenous people of the world, for the billions and billions of underprivileged people out there who would be most affected by this. For our children’s children, and for those people out there whose voices have been drowned out by the politics of greed. I thank you all for this amazing award tonight. Let us not take this planet for granted. I do not take tonight for granted.”