UN Gives Top Environmental Award To Madhav Gadgil

India-West News Desk

NEW DELHI – Veteran Indian ecologist Madhav Gadgil (82) was awarded the prestigious Champions of Earth award by the United Nations (UN) on December 10 for Lifetime Achievement in conservation and protection of marginalized communities. He is the only Indian among six global awardees this year, recognized for their contributions to environmental protection.

Gadgil’s pioneering efforts to conserve India’s ecologically sensitive Western Ghats earned him global acclaim. Spanning six states, the Western Ghats is one of the world’s 36 biodiversity hotspots and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. As chair of the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Committee in 2010, Madhav Gadgil recommended declaring the region an ecologically sensitive area, emphasizing sustainable development while protecting local livelihoods. His proposals sparked debate but underscored the importance of balancing conservation with community needs.

A professor at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, Gadgil founded the Centre for Ecological Sciences and was instrumental in establishing India’s first biosphere reserve, the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, in 1986. Known for his commitment to community-led conservation, Gadgil worked closely with forest dwellers, farmers, and fishing communities, advocating policies that integrated environmental protection with resource management.

A key architect of India’s Biological Diversity Act and contributor to the Forest Rights Act, Gadgil has shaped India’s environmental policies. His accolades include India’s Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan, the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement, and the Volvo Environment Prize.

Reflecting on his career, Madhav Gadgil told the UN Environment Program, “I have the satisfaction that as a scientist, empathetic to the people, I have been able to help change the direction of what is happening. I’m a durable optimist—and hopeful that this progress will continue to gather pace.”

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