100 WATER HEROES: DR. VANDANA SHIVA

Environmental Leader

Dr. Vandana Shiva is a renowned academic, author, environmental activist and food sovereignty advocate in India. Vandana is based in Dehli, and serves on the board of the International Forum on Globalisation.

Much of Vandana’s career and life has been dedicated to “the defence and celebration of biodiversity and indigenous knowledge,” leading to her being named an Environmental Hero by Time magazine. Varadana looks to the last 40 years of unsustainable practices and technologies as a predominant contributor to India’s water crisis, and sees this as representative of the global water crisis.

Prior to her work as an environmentalist, Vandana obtained her Master's degree at Panjab University, moving on to work at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre. She continued her academic career in Canada, where she earned her Masters in the Philosophy of Science at the University of Guelph. Vandana was awarded her PhD in Philosophy at the University of Western Ontario in 1978. Vandana then moved into interdisciplinary research surrounding science, technology and environmental policy.

In addition to a highly impressive career in academia, Vandana has published over 20 books. Her most recent publication is entitled Making Peace with the Earth (2013), a book that examines the destructive environmental impact of globalisation, arguing that a “shift to earth-centered politics and economics” is necessary for the earth’s restoration.

Vandana is one of our #100WaterHeroes for her fearless dedication to environmental advocacy, and encouragement of biodiversity and traditional knowledge.

Twitter: Dr. Vandana Shiva