India, April 22 -- A young Colombian who risked her life to mobilise her community against fracking projects, ultimately preventing the introduction of commercial fracking in the country is one of the six recipients of the 2026 Goldman Environmental Prize.

Yuvelis Natalia Morales Blanco, 24, helped halt fracking along the Magdalena river, Colombia's largest river and one of the most biodiverse places on Earth. She faced death threats and exile for her advocacy - Yuvelis received her first death threat at 19.

Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is a method used to extract natural gas and oil from deep rock formations known as shale by injecting water, sand, and a mix of chemicals into horizontally drilled wells, causing the shale to crack...