A UAE-based Indian girl won the prestigious International Children's Peace Prize for 2016.  The award was presented the award by Bangladesh's Nobel peace laureate Mohammad Yunus.

A 16-year-old Indian environmental activist Kehkashan Basu was awarded at a glittering ceremony in The Hague for her for climate justice and combating environmental degradation.

Yunus, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 underlined the urgency and importance of Kehkashan's work. He said that, as more than three million children under the age of five die every year from environment-related diseases and many more suffer deeply from environmental issues.

Yunus said that, "It is a great achievement for such a young person to already have such reach and impact with her important message."

"A healthy environment is essential for the survival, well being and development of children, and therefore it is a precondition for the realization of the rights of the child. Kehkashan teaches us that we all have a responsibility to work towards a sustainable future," he said.

Basu said after receiving the prize, that, she would "keep campaigning to encourage children and adults to create a more sustainable future."

"I call upon everyone to think of how they can contribute to the preservation of the environment. Time is not on our side we have to act now, or we will have polar bears under palm trees," she said.

Marc Dullaert, the Chairman and Founder of the Dutch KidsRights Foundation has initiated the International Children's Peace Prize and the prize is awarded annually to a child, anywhere in the world, for his or her dedication to children's rights.

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- Nandini