Kartikeya V. Sarabhai (India) is the founder and director of the Centre for Environment Education (CEE), a national institution engaged in promoting environmental awareness and conservation as well as education for sustainable development. Starting small in Ahmedabad in 1984, CEE today works at the national and international level with a staff of over 200 professionals and 40 offices across India, as well as in Australia and Sri Lanka. In 2005, CEE received the Global award for Outstanding Service to Environmental Education from the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE). Mr. Sarabhai also set up VIKSAT, an NGO working towards people’s participation in natural resource management, as well as Sundervan, a nature discovery centre.
Mr. Sarabhai has served on several committees of the Ministry of Environment and Forests and the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India. These include greening India’s formal education system and initiatives for biodiversity education. Mr. Sarabhai has long been associated with IUCN (World Conversation Union), and was the chair of South and South-East Asia, IUCN Commission on Education and Communication. He is currently vice-chair of the Indian National Commission. Mr. Sarabhai was instrumental in initiating SASEANEE, the South and Southeast Asian Network for Environment Education. He was a member of the Indian delegation to UNCED at Rio and WSSD (World Summit on Sustainable Development) at Johannesburg and was co-author of India’s report for UNCED. Under his leadership, CEE organized the first International Conference of the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development in January 2005. Mr. Sarabhai received the Tree of Learning Award from The World Conservation Union in 1998 in appreciation of his contributions to the field of environmental education and communication. In 2005, The Indian Institute of Human Rights presented Mr. Sarabhai with the World Human Rights Promotion Award.
