Maria Anais Carvalho

Brazilian environmental engineer who pioneered urban reforestation in favelas during the 1990s

Maria Anais Carvalho (b. 1968) revolutionized urban ecology in Brazil by transforming Rio de Janeiro's favelas into green urban models. Starting in 1994, she developed the Verde nas Escadarias project, planting over 150,000 trees in stairwell communities. Her engineering innovations included soil stabilization techniques that reduced landslides by 60% in pilot areas while creating community gardens.

Carvalho's 1998 invention of the 'vertical hydroponic wall' system allowed families in cramped housing to grow food vertically. This method spread to 12 Latin American countries through her NGO Cidades Verdes. She co-authored the 《Greening the Concrete Jungle》, which influenced Brazil's 2001 Urban Forestry Law.

Her 2000 documentary 《Roots in the Sky》 won an Emmy for environmental journalism. Carvalho's work inspired the 'Favela Verde' movement, leading to 23 cities adopting her green infrastructure standards. Today, her methods are taught at Harvard's School of Design through the Maria Anais Fellowship program.