You cannot fight climate change with one or two isolated projects. If you don't start holistically from the beginning, you cannot simply add it later.
Speaking to The Daily Star yesterday, she described the honour as both humbling and a validation of over two decades of work in the country's chars and coastal belts.
Friendship is the first Bangladeshi organisation to receive the prestigious award, founded by Prince William and widely referred to as the "Nobel Prize for the Environment". It won in the "Fix Our Climate" category on November 6 and received £1 million (around Tk 16 crore) to scale its climate innovations.
"Bangladesh often appears in international news only for cyclones, floods or other crises. But now, maybe for the first time, we are on the map not for a disaster, but for a solution," Runa said.
She said the organisation did not emerge from a sudden breakthrough, but from a gradual build-up of responsibility. Friendship began with a floating hospital and later expanded into education, legal aid, disaster preparedness and climate adaptation. The focus has always been on human needs rather than donor-driven targets.
Explaining what set Friendship apart, Runa said its core philosophy defined the difference. "We do not chase money. We chase needs. We never say a project failed because we do not take on projects. We take on human needs. If one method does not work, we try another."
She said the organisation had turned down donor offers amounting to hundreds of crores when the agendas did not match community realities. "Integrity and relevance matter more than volume," she said.
Asked why the judges selected Friendship, she said the award recognised a solution designed specifically for "intra-migrants" -- people forced to move within Bangladesh due to river erosion, tidal surges and rising seas. These communities often fall outside formal migration definitions because they do not cross borders.
"We usually go to the world with our problems. But this is the first time a holistic, integrated climate solution for intra-migrants has been accepted."
"You cannot fight climate change with one or two isolated projects. If you don't start holistically from the beginning, you cannot simply add it later," she added.
Regarding the use of the prize money, Runa said Friendship had identified areas where its integrated model needed strengthening. The immediate priority was restoring mangroves in the southern coastal belt, which remains Bangladesh's first and strongest line of defence.
"We are not building massive dykes. We don't have that kind of money, and no one gives us that much," she said.
She said mangroves protect biodiversity, create income for local communities and, above all, save lives. With much of Bangladesh only a few metres above sea level, even a one-metre rise poses severe risks without natural protection. The funds will support reforestation and community-led protection work along the coastline.
Asked about global attention and scaling, Runa said Friendship had never believed in expanding for numbers alone. "We work, we expand, then we stop. We strengthen our roots, and only then do we move forward again. Our vision is not on growth but on depth and quality. That is what ensures sustainability," she said.
She said several countries had expressed interest in the model. A landlocked African nation has already approached Friendship to replicate its hospital system and integrated development approach. Sharing their tools with national governments would bring greater impact than organisational expansion, she said.
Calling young people the "real population" of the country, Runa urged them to safeguard their energy and purpose. "They have courage and hope, but they are often used by others. Do not let yourselves be used. Be careful. You must come first."
"If they could lead a movement like they did last year, they can take it upon themselves to save the world. My hope and my pride are with them," she added.
Earlier yesterday, Friendship organised an event titled Pride for Bangladesh, a Celebration with the Media.
Friendship Chairman Salahuddin Ahmed, Senior Director and Head of Climate Action Kazi Amdadul Hoque, and Director and Head of Communications Tanjina Sharmin spoke at the event alongside Runa Khan.