AGARWAL, ANIL

(b. November 23, 1947, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh; d. January 2, 2002, Dehra Dun, Uttarakhand), one of India's most prominent and respected environmental activists. He was the founder chairperson of the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE).

Trained as a mechanical engineer at the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Agarwal joined The Hindustan Times as a science correspondent in 1973. His interest in India's environmental concerns was influenced by the 1974 Chipko Movement-the mass protest against the indiscriminate felling of trees led by the poor women of Reni, a Himalayan village in Uttarakhand. The movement helped Agarwal recognize the delicate relationship between environmental resources and the daily requirements of the poor, especially in developing countries.  

Agarwal was one of the first environmentalists to adopt and institute the practice of what later came to be known as "sustainable development". In 1980, his vision of an environmental movement on a national as well as a global level prompted him to set up the CSE. Campaigning for various issues, including atmospheric pollution, the CSE soon established itself as one of India's foremost non-governmental organizations working on issues of the environment and development.  

In 1992, Agarwal launched Down to Earth , a magazine addressing environmental and science issues and promoting the causes of sustainable development. An avid writer, Agarwal contributed numerous articles to both national and international publications including London-based journals Earthscan and New Scientist . He has over 20 books dealing with economic and environmental development to his credit.

In recognition of his work, Agarwal was elected to the Global 500 Honour Roll in 1987 by the United Nations Environment Programme. The Indian government honoured him with the Padma Shri in 1986 and the Padma Bhushan in 2000. Agarwal passed away after battling long with cancer. The Society for Conservation of Biology posthumously awarded him the Distinguished Service Award for innovative work in the field of environmental conservation.