Environmental journalist malavika vyawahare wins prestigious seal award for climate reporting excellence

Mongabay contributing editor Malavika Vyawahare has been recognized with a 2025 SEAL Award for her outstanding environmental journalism, joining an elite group of reporters celebrated for their ability to navigate and communicate complex climate and environmental issues to the public.

The SEAL Awards, presented annually by the U.S.-based environmental advocacy organization SEAL (Sustainability, Environmental Achievement & Leadership), honor journalists who excel at covering the intricate challenges facing our planet. Vyawahare’s recognition highlights her unique talent for tackling diverse environmental topics—from fossil fuels and renewable energy to toxic chemicals in breast milk and deforestation linked to global trade—while making complex scientific concepts accessible to everyday readers.

“This award is a huge encouragement for me, as a journalist and as an exhausted toddler mom,” Vyawahare said upon receiving the honor. “It is also a recognition of the kind of work Mongabay makes possible, the space it creates for its staff and contributors to write meaningful stories.” SEAL Awards impact lead Safa Bee Wesley praised Vyawahare’s ability to “translate complex concepts from scientific language into comprehensible explanations that any reader can digest, while retaining an elevated and authoritative voice.”

Vyawahare continues Mongabay’s impressive track record with the SEAL Awards—the publication has seen multiple staff members and contributors recognized in recent years, including Spoorthy Raman (2023), Karla Mendes and Basten Gokkon (2022), and Mongabay founder Rhett A. Butler (2020). Currently based between La Réunion and India, Vyawahare focuses on Africa’s environmental challenges, particularly exploring what “just energy” transitions mean for the continent’s residents.