For Zikhona Ngqula, protecting the environment starts with listening to the people whose lives depend on it. By combining science, public policy and community knowledge, she is helping shape a more just and sustainable future for South Africa's freshwater ecosystems. At 30, Ngqula is an environmental anthropologist, researcher at the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) and PhD candidate at Environmental Humanities South at the University of Cape Town. Her work focuses on environmental justice, water governance and public policy, with a particular emphasis on restoring the country's freshwater ecosystems. Committed to ensuring her research has an impact beyond academia, Ngqula works closely with local organisations, using citizen science to strengthen environmental awareness, inform policy and empower people to protect natural resources.