Hello!

I’m Richa Syal, an investigative journalist specializing in environmental issues. My work has been published by The Guardian, The Associated Press, National Geographic, Middle East Eye, The Globe & Mail, Mongabay, and more. My reporting has been featured on BBC World Service, The Guardian’s Science Weekly podcast and CBC’s World Report.

I’ve investigated a wide array of environmental threats, ranging from unsustainable practices of fisheries, smuggling routes of the illegal wildlife trade, failed tree conservation initiatives, and the exploitation of marine species. I am currently a senior reporter at Unearthed, Greenpeace UK’s investigative journalism outlet.

I use a wide range of investigative methods — including open-source intelligence, geospatial mapping, FOI requests, and source cultivation — to uncover environmental wrongdoing and produce high-impact investigations.

I also have a background in web development, having worked with CBC and The Globe & Mail on projects that require both technical skills and compelling visual storytelling. This is a field I’ve stayed attached to, be it through mentorship or with commissioned projects. My past projects involving my front-end web development can be viewed on my Portfolio page.

I’m currently based in London, and before that worked as a freelance journalist in the UAE and as part of the Peabody-nominated R.AGE investigative team in Malaysia, where we exposed the illegal pangolin trade between Malaysia and Hong Kong.

Since 2020, I’ve been a core member of the Environmental Reporting Collective, and data associate for The Oxpeckers Center for Investigative Environmental Journalism.

I hold a Master’s degree in Media, Communications & Development from the London School of Economics, and a Bachelors of Journalism from Ryerson University in Toronto.

My aim is to thoughtfully amplify the voices of people and communities impacted by climate, forced migration and government/corporate injustices. I’m open to commissions, mentorship and collaboration — please get in touch!