100 WATER HEROES: PROF. PRIYANAND AGALE

Written By Schalk van der Merwe

Founder and President of Eco Needs Foundation

Professor Priyanand Agale is the Founder and President of the Eco Needs Foundation, “an organisation of young people striving for environmental conservation and an Eco Revolution.” Under Priyanand’s leadership, they were able to transform Dhanora Village into India’s first smart village.

The Eco Needs Foundation has identified five specific facets of development that are necessary for the creation of a smart village:

  • Redevelopment: Changing the layout of the village it’s built environment with new planning and infrastructure.

  • Retrofitting: Improving the overall aesthetic by adding colour to existing structures and modifying the elevation of buildings.

  • Greenfield: Following sustainable development practices

  • e-Pan: The application of smart solutions to improve existing infrastructure; using technology and data to improve infrastructure and services

  • Livelihood: Improving overall living standards by creating employment opportunities through these endeavours.

In conjunction with his work at the Eco Needs Foundation, Priyanand has also pioneered a series of Eco Revolution conferences throughout Asia, many of which have resulted in important environmental commitments by conference participants. For instance, the 2011 India Eco Revolution Conference resulted in the Aurangabad Declaration for River Conservation.

Priyanand is one of our #100WaterHeroes for working towards environmental sustainability and leading the development of India’s first smart village.

Twitter: @AgaleProf

Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/priyanand-agale-13434717

Schalk van der Merwe
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