Kaziranga Director Sonali Ghosh becomes first Indian to win global IUCN Kenton Miller Award
India’s conservation efforts received global recognition on Friday as Dr Sonali Ghosh, Field Director of Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve, became the first Indian to win the prestigious WCPA-Kenton Miller Award for innovation in National Parks and Protected Area Sustainability at the IUCN World Conservation Congress held in Abu Dhabi, reports 24brussels.
The award, presented by the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA), honors individuals who have made innovative contributions to the long-term sustainability of national parks and protected areas worldwide. Named after Dr Kenton R. Miller, a pioneer in conservation and former Director General of IUCN, the award underscores ongoing advancements in conservation leadership.
Dr Ghosh’s achievement highlights India’s increasing influence in biodiversity conservation, particularly through the sustainable management of Assam’s protected ecosystems, including Kaziranga, Manas, and Orang National Parks. Her initiatives focus on enhancing park management, fostering local community engagement in conservation efforts, and promoting eco-friendly tourism models that ensure environmental protection alongside sustainable livelihood creation.
This recognition also shines a spotlight on India’s extensive network of protected areas and the innovative conservation strategies being implemented by field officials and scientists. Earlier that day, Union Minister of State for Environment, Forests, and Climate Change, as well as External Affairs, Kirti Vardhan Singh, attended the IUCN Congress, reaffirming India’s commitment to collaborating with global partners for a sustainable and green future. “Enjoyed a constructive discussion with Dr Grethel Aguilar, Director-General, IUCN, and other Ministers on the way forward for our shared mission of conservation and sustainability,” the minister stated in a post on X.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), founded in 1948 and headquartered in Switzerland, is the world’s largest environmental network, uniting governments, NGOs, and experts from over 160 countries. Every four years, it convenes the World Conservation Congress to set global priorities for protecting nature and biodiversity.
In 2023, the Kenton Miller Award was presented to Maria del Carmen Garcia Rivas of Mexico for her pioneering work in advancing marine protected areas through community-led governance and scientific monitoring.
