Sunita Narain honoured

Sunita Narain, environmentalist, activist and editor of Down To Earth magazine, on Thursday was honoured by the University of Alberta in Edmonton in Canada for her work on global water challenges. She also heads the Centre for Science and Environment and is a columnist for Business Standard.

Two others, Peter Brabeck-Letmathel, Chair of Nestle, and Steve E Hrudey, a scholar of analytical and environmental toxicology, were also awarded for their work on the same subject.

According to a statement released by the organisers, Narain said the challenges on water required novel solutions. She said the world faced multiple water-related problems ranging from climate change related variable rainfall to scarcity and pollution.

“We know the answers to these problems will not be found in the science and engineering textbooks. The answers require us to reinvent growth and economic wellbeing without pollution so that it does not cost us the earth,” the release quoted her as saying.

Her work, Narain said, was influenced by her experience in Rajasthan 20 years ago. She said she saw bowl-like structures built near houses to conserve every drop of rain water. Similarly, roofs of houses were treated as rainfall catchment and tunnels were built to channelise water into lakes and ponds. Every drop was valued, she said. “This insight into the art and science of local water engineering inspired us to learn more about traditional water practices,” she told the gathering.