Vera Hände

Pioneering German civil engineer who revolutionized urban wastewater management in developing nations

Born in 1937 Munich, Vera Hände developed solar-powered water purification systems that transformed sanitation infrastructure across tropical regions. Her 1968 Closed-Loop Urban Hydration Model implemented in Jakarta became WHO's benchmark for flood-prone cities.

Unlike conventional approaches, Hände's systems integrated traditional aquaculture practices with modern engineering. Her collaboration with UNICEF from 1972-1991 brought clean water to 14 million people through community-managed facilities. The Hände Cycle remains crucial in climate adaptation strategies.

Controversially opposed mega-dam projects, advocating instead for distributed micro-treatment units. Received the 2003 Blue Planet Prize despite establishment resistance. Her notebooks were later digitized into OpenHydro, a crowdsourced platform for grassroots engineers.