GUWAHATI:
In a groundbreaking achievement, Sonali Ghosh, the esteemed Director of Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve, has become the first Indian to be honored with an international award for her pioneering work in making national parks and protected areas more sustainable and innovative.
She, along with Ecuador’s prominent politician and environmentalist, Roque Simón Sevilla Larrea, received the prestigious Kenton R. Miller Award in Abu Dhabi on October 10. This award is presented by the World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA).
The WCPA operates as one of six specialized technical commissions under the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Established in 1948, the IUCN is a global network committed to preserving nature and promoting the responsible use of natural resources.
The commission specifically focuses on the governance, management, and policy of protected areas, actively working to support the establishment and effective oversight of national parks, nature reserves, and marine protected areas worldwide.
Launched in 2006, the biennial Kenton R. Miller Award recognizes outstanding individuals or teams who introduce innovative solutions in various aspects of protected area management, including planning, finance, governance, monitoring, and capacity building. This accolade is reserved for those whose impactful contributions have earned peer recognition without prior international awards, reflecting truly novel approaches.
Awardees typically tackle significant challenges such as poaching, the impacts of climate change, the threat of invasive species, and limited financial resources.
The IUCN highlighted Dr. Ghosh’s recognition for her exemplary work in championing a conservation approach deeply rooted in community involvement and educational outreach. Her model seamlessly blends traditional ecological knowledge with contemporary scientific expertise, proving particularly effective within the rich biodiversity of Manas and Kaziranga in Assam.
Meanwhile, Mr. Larrea, an accomplished economist, businessman, and environmentalist, was celebrated for integrating sustainability across various ventures, including tourism, insurance, and environmental initiatives. He is also the visionary founder and president of Grupo Futuro, a diversified holding company encompassing 19 businesses in sectors like insurance, healthcare, tourism, agriculture, and clean energy.
Previous recipients of the Kenton R. Miller Award include Burung Indonesia, acknowledged for its community-driven bird conservation efforts that integrate local wisdom with scientific research; Nizar Youssef Hani of Lebanon’s Shouf Biosphere Reserve, recognized for his post-conflict ecosystem restoration and community empowerment initiatives; and Mexico’s Maria Del Carmen Garcia Rivas, honored for her advancements in marine protected areas through collaborative governance and scientific monitoring.