Gadgil is among the six awardees who have been bestowed the honour for their respective contributions in the field of conservation and environmental protection
Veteran Indian ecologist Madhav Gadgil (82) was recently awarded the Champions of Earth award by the United Nations (UN) on December 10. He is among the six awardees who have been bestowed the honour for their respective contributions in the field of conservation and environmental protection.
Among the other winners of this year's Champions of the Earth award are Sonia Guajajara, Brazil's Minister of Indigenous Peoples, Amy Bowers Cordalis, an indigenous right advocate in the US, Gabriel Paun, an environmental activist from Romania, Lu Qui, a scientist from China, and the SEKEM initiative founded in 1977 by the Egyptian development activist Ibrahim Abouleish.
The prestigious UN award is among the highest honours bestowed on pioneers of environmental action by civil society and academia. The award also recognizes innovative sustainable solutions in both public and private sectors.
This year, Gadgil was chosen as the winner in the Lifetime Achievement category for his years-long contributions in the field of conservation and protection of marginalized communities. Particularly, Gadgil's efforts to protect the ecologically-sensitive region of Western Ghats in India have earned him global recognition.
The Western Ghats refers to a vast stretch of mountains spread across six states from Gujarat to Tamil Nadu. Known for its rich biodiversity and ecological value, it is one of the 36 global biodiversity hotspots and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Gadgil is the only Indian to be featured on the list of winners for the 2024 Champions of the Earth awards. The 82-year-old scientist-activist has been a member of several government agencies and committees, including the Prime Minister's Scientific Advisory Council. Gadgil was one of the architects of India’s Biological Diversity Act and was also involved in the implementation of the Forest Rights Act.
The Western Ghats Ecology Expert Committee was formed by the government in 2010 to assess and analyse the impact of climate change, development activities and population on the ecologically-sensitive region of Western Ghats. Gadgil served as the chair in this panel, which submitted its report in 2011 recommending that the entire range be declared an ecologically sensitive area.
The recommendations also included a ban on mining, quarrying, new thermal power plants and renewable energy projects. However, the panel's recommendations sparked concerns among local communities, industries and state governments, with fears around the largescale impact of the proposed measures on the livelihood of people.
Gadgil, in an interview with PTI, spoke about the controversies surrounding the panel's recommendations. "There are not many who would write the kind of very honest reports, including official reports like the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel, which provide very concrete facts and bring out a clear picture. It is available for people to look at, understand the issues, and engage in at least some good, honest discussion," the 82-year-old nature scientist was quoted as saying.
"I can certainly feel happy for standing up and writing such a report, which nobody ever writes," he added.
In August 2012, the Union government formed a high-level working group to propose measures for the ecological protection and sustainable development of the Western Ghats, with the Indian scientist K Kasturirangan as its chair.
As per the working group, 37 per cent of the region, covering 59,940 square kilometres, was ecologically sensitive. Since March 2014, the Union environment ministry has issued five draft notifications to declare the Western Ghats as ecologically sensitive, reported PTI. However, the final notification is still pending because of objections from the states, it added.
Madhav Gadgil was a professor at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, Karnataka. Having founded the Centre for Ecological Sciences at IISc, Gadgil is credited for the establishment of India’s first biosphere reserve—Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve—in 1986. It is now the largest protected area in India, and Gadgil’s contributions towards community-led conservation efforts and resource management have been largely recognised.
His research on protecting marginalised communities and promoting community-driven conservation of ecosystems in forests and wetlands have provided key insights and helped shape policy.
Throughout his career, Gadgil has worked closely with forest dwellers, farmers and fishing communities, activists and policymakers.
Gadgil’s contributions have earned him India’s highest civilian honours—the Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan awards—as well as the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement and the Volvo Environment Prize.
“I have the satisfaction that as a scientist, empathetic to the people, I have been able to do various things which have helped in changing the direction of what is happening,” Gadgil told the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). “I'm a durable optimist—and hopeful that this progress will continue to gather pace.”