Conversation titled "Ecological Design Thinking"

Oct 6, 2021

The NIA Conversation titled "Ecological Design Thinking" by Dr. Upendra Raval was conducted on 6th October 2021 in an online mode. It was facilitated by Ar. Nikhil Shah.

Dr. Upendra Raval (Muni Bhai) is a distinguished academician and an environmentalist. He has over 30 years of experience working with water systems and wastewater management. He holds a PhD in Zoology, and his doctoral research explored functional anatomy and avian biology. He has widely lectured and engaged with design and engineering schools across India over 12 years. Since 2016, he is engaged with SVNIT, Surat, as a visiting professor where he teaches students of M.Tech (Urban Planning) exploring 21st century Urban Planning - Water and Wastewater Engineering.

The conversation by Dr. Upendra Raval emphasised the need to unravel and understand the molecular complexities of ecological systems in order to inform the planning scale of human settlements. It reinstated the need to move beyond the anthropocentric paradigms and embrace eco-centric thinking processes. It reflected upon the parallels between human body and ecological systems like rivers, wetlands, estuaries, lakes, oceans and likewise. It critically questioned the existing sewage and sanitation models and the need to evolve them further in a decentralized manner in order to achieve a closed loop ecosystem.