Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, India

Nurturing nature - holistic pathways towards nature positivity

Amrita is a premier institution of learning with 8 campuses across India. The first campus, located in Coimbatore, in the foothills of Western Ghats was a barren land. With global temperatures constantly on the rise and increasing dry land cover, the biodiversity in the region was constantly on the decline. Recognizing the urgency to cultivate a harmonious relationship between residential community and nature, the campus embarked on a transformative journey towards nature positivity.

Over 20 years, through multi-stakeholder efforts aimed at ecosystem restoration and biodiversity conservation, massive tree plantation drives, global seedball campaign and bee conservation projects, the campus has now been transformed into an oasis of lush greenery serving as a rich biodiversity hub. The sprawling 4-acre campus has recorded a drop in average temperature by 5°C. The tranquil surroundings host an array of exotic birds alongside numerous indigenous plants and nocturnal species rare to the region.

With the learnings imbibed, all the Amrita campuses are being transformed into self-sustained ecosystems.

Awards: First rank in the technical institutions category in the Swachatha rankings 2017 by Govt. of India for Coimbatore. Amrita’s Amritapuri Campus in Kerala, India, has been recognized as the first bee friendly campus in the state.       

Top 3 Learnings

1. Afforestation brought new species lesser known to the region, inspiring hope among community, faculty, and students for a brighter future.
2. Through multi-stakeholder partnerships and community participation, a sense of community stewardship can be fostered, which will help in sustaining the natural surroundings.
3. A sense of gratitude and reverence towards nature has been brought in among the students, faculty and community thereby improving overall health and improving spiritual and cultural benefits.