The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has awarded prominent Indian environmentalist Madhav Gadgil the Lifetime Achievement Award, the United Nations’ highest environmental honor. With this accolade, Gadgil joins the hall of fame alongside other esteemed laureates such as David Attenborough and Joan Carling.
In total, six individuals have been named recipients of the Champions of the Earth 2024 Award: Amy Bowers Cordalis and Gabriel Paun for Inspiration and Action; Lu Qi for Science and Innovation; Sekem for Entrepreneurial Vision; and Sonia Guajajara for Policy Leadership.
The announcement was shared by the United Nations Mission in India in a post on X (formerly Twitter), stating, “Indian ecologist Madhav Gadgil is among the six @UNEP Champions of the Earth 2024, who are at the forefront of efforts to restore the #environment. Join the #EarthChamps to defend our planet. We are #GenerationRestoration.”
According to UNEP, Madhav Gadgil has authored seven books and over 200 scientific papers. His landmark work, famously known as the Gadgil Report, called for the protection of India’s ecologically sensitive Western Ghats mountain range.
Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UNEP, praised Gadgil’s contributions in a statement: “Science can help us find solutions to the devastating loss of nature our world is experiencing. Madhav Gadgil has demonstrated this for decades. His work has advanced conservation while demonstrating a deep respect for people and community knowledge, bringing to the fore lasting solutions for some of India’s most pressing environmental challenges.”
During his career at the Indian Institute of Science, Gadgil founded the Centre for Ecological Sciences. One of his notable achievements through the centre was the establishment of India’s first biosphere reserve, the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, in 1986, UNEP noted.
UNEP also highlighted that Gadgil has been a member of several government agencies and committees, including the Prime Minister’s Scientific Advisory Council. He was one of the architects of India’s Biological Diversity Act and played a key role in the implementation of the Forest Rights Act. These laws have empowered forest communities to establish registers to monitor biodiversity in local ecosystems.
Over the years, Gadgil’s wide-ranging contributions have earned him some of India’s highest civilian honors, including the Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan, as well as international recognition such as the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement and the Volvo Environment Prize, UNEP stated.
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