Abdullah A REHMAN

Abdullah A. Rehman

Founder & CEO, Anti-Pollution Drive (APD) Foundation

Abdullah A. Rehman is an Indian social entrepreneur, public-health advocate, and environmental strategist dedicated to advancing clean air, sanitation, and sustainable urban mobility. He is the Founder and CEO of the Anti-Pollution Drive (APD) Foundation, a civil-society organization established in 2014 that works at the intersection of health, environment, and governance to improve quality of life in Indian cities.

Under his leadership, APD Foundation has executed several high-impact initiatives, including Shuddha Gaali (Clean Air), which assesses the respiratory health impacts of vehicular emissions on outdoor workers such as traffic police, auto-rickshaw drivers, and street vendors, and Prathi Manege Shauchalaya (Every Home a Toilet), which constructed sanitation facilities in rural Dakshina Kannada where government schemes were unavailable.

Rehman has been a strong advocate for the transition from diesel to electric public transport, leading research-based campaigns that link air-pollution data with public-health outcomes to influence local policy and sustainable-mobility planning. His organization’s collaboration with the Mangalore City Corporation, UN-Habitat, and the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board has positioned APD as a key catalyst for evidence-driven environmental governance in South India.

Beyond local action, Rehman engages actively in the global sustainability and health agenda. APD Foundation is a member of the World Health Organization (WHO) Civil Society Commission, and Rehman has been accredited by the United Nations to participate in the upcoming High-Level Meeting on the Appraisal of the Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons at UN Headquarters, New York (2025).

Rehman’s leadership reflects a deep belief in accountability, intersectoral partnerships, and citizen participation as engines for systemic change. His work continues to demonstrate how community-based action can translate scientific evidence into measurable policy outcomes—bridging local innovation with global sustainable-development goals.