Vandana Hemant Chavan is an Indian politician and advocate. She is a member of the Parliament of India, representing Maharashtra in the Rajya Sabha (Upper House of the Indian Parliament). She is from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and has been a member of Parliament since 2012.

She has been actively involved in various environmental issues and initiatives, both at the local and national level. Some of her notable contributions in the field of environment are:

- As the mayor of Pune from 1997 to 1998, she incorporated the concept of the Bio Diversity Park (BDP) into the development plan of the fringe villages, amid resistance from within and outside her party. The BDP aims to conserve the natural habitats and biodiversity of the Western Ghats, which are under threat from urbanization and development. She also initiated a literacy drive, a women empowerment program, and a cultural festival during her tenure as mayor.

- As a member of the Rajya Sabha, she has raised several environmental issues and concerns in the Parliament, such as climate change, air pollution, water scarcity, waste management, renewable energy, wildlife protection, and environmental education. She has also participated in various national and international conferences and forums on environmental matters, such as the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris in 2015, the World Sustainable Development Summit in New Delhi in 2018, and the Global Climate Action Summit in San Francisco in 2018.

- She has authored books on law and climate change, such as Law of Cruelty, Abetment of Suicide and Dowry Death (Co-author), 1993, and Green India-Clean India, Swapna Udyachi-Sundar Jagachi (a reference book in Marathi on climate change), 2011. She has also written articles and columns on various environmental topics in newspapers and magazines, such as The Times of India, Sakal, and Lokmat.

- She has been associated with several environmental organizations and movements, such as the Indian Network on Ethics and Climate Change (INECC), the Climate Action Network South Asia (CANSA), the Maharashtra State Environment Protection Council (MSEPC), and the Save Western Ghats Movement (SWGM). She has also supported and collaborated with various environmental activists and experts, such as Dr. R. K. Pachauri, Dr. Vandana Shiva, Dr. Madhav Gadgil, and Medha Patkar.

Vandana Hemant Chavan is a prominent and influential voice for environmental protection and sustainability in India. She has demonstrated her commitment and passion for the cause through her various roles and initiatives. She has also inspired and empowered many others to join her in the fight for a greener and cleaner future.