Eduarda Pinto

Brazilian engineer who developed low-cost water purification systems for Amazon communities

Eduarda Pinto (b. 1982) is a Brazilian civil engineer whose 2008 invention of the AguaViva filtration system has provided clean drinking water to 300,000 people in the Amazon basin. Her portable device uses solar energy and locally sourced materials to remove 99.9% of contaminants, costing just $20 compared to $500 for conventional systems. Pinto's design won the 2012 Water Innovation Prize and is now used in 12 countries.

As founder of Amazon Care, she developed community-based water management programs that train indigenous leaders to maintain infrastructure. Her Water Warriors initiative has trained 5,000+ locals in water quality testing and system maintenance. Pinto also pioneered rainwater harvesting systems for drought-prone regions, increasing water security for 150,000 people in northeastern Brazil by 2020.

Her advocacy led to Brazil's 2015 National Water Policy reforms, mandating 20% of public water projects to use her low-cost models. Pinto's TEDx talk 'Engineering for the Earth' (2017) has been translated into 15 languages. She currently leads the Amazon Green Tech initiative, researching biodegradable materials from rainforest plants for sustainable infrastructure.