UN Champion Of The Earth 2024

Madhav Gadgil, a veteran Indian ecologist, was named a 2024 ‘Champion of the Earth’ by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

The recognition is in the “Lifetime Achievement” category for his decades-long contributions to environmental protection.

Establishment: Founded in 1972 after the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm.

Role:

Awards:

Initiatives:

About the ‘Champion of the Earth’ Award

UNEP’s ‘Champion of the Earth’ award is the UN’s highest environmental honor, recognizing outstanding environmental leaders since 2005.
It is an annual award that acknowledges individuals and organizations demonstrating exceptional commitment to environmental conservation.
‘Champions of the Earth’ Awardees: Indian Prime Minister, Mr. Narendra Modi, was conferred the Champions of the Earth Award 2018 for Policy Leadership.

Category	Awardee(s)	Country
Lifetime Achievement	Madhav Gadgil	India
Policy Leadership	Sonia Guajajara	Brazil
Inspiration and Action	Amy Bowers Cordalis, Gabriel Paun	US, Romania
Science and Innovation	Lu Qi	China
Entrepreneurial Vision	Sekem	Egypt

Authored the “Gadgil Report,” which highlighted the ecological threats and proposed community-centric conservation strategies.
Recommended declaring 75% of the 129,037 sq. km Western Ghats area as environmentally sensitive due to its unique biodiversity.
Recommendations have faced resistance and remain partially implemented.
Subsequent reports, like the Kasturirangan report, diluted its recommendations and reduced the Environmentally sensitive region.

Aspect	Gadgil Committee Report	Kasturirangan Committee Report
Focus	Ecologically sensitive conservation with community involvement	Balanced approach with development and conservation
ESA Coverage	Recommended 75% of the Western Ghats (129,037 sq. km) as environmentally sensitive	Reduced to 37% of the Western Ghats as environmentally sensitive
Approach	Emphasized community participation in decision-making	Categorized areas into cultural (human settlements) and natural (non-human) regions
Activity Classification	Red: Prohibited activities (e.g., mining, stone quarrying) Orange: Regulated with permissions Green: Permitted activities like agriculture and horticulture	Similar classification but with greater emphasis on allowing developmental activities in cultural regions
Stakeholder Inclusion	Strongly recommended consultation and involvement of local communities	Limited local participation; decisions more aligned with central and state agencies
Implementation Resistance	Faced strong opposition from development and industrial sectors	Accepted more widely but criticized for diluting ecological recommendations
Conservation Scope	Advocated for stricter conservation measures for biodiversity protection	Aimed to balance ecological preservation with developmental needs

- Status of Implementation: Since 2014, the Union Environment Ministry has issued five draft notifications to declare the Western Ghats ecologically sensitive.
- Final notification remains pending due to objections from various States
Grassroots Environmental Engagement: Promoted community-driven conservation initiatives, safeguarding forests, wetlands, and other ecosystems.
- Supported marginalized communities, empowering them to protect their local environments.
Academic Contributions: Authored seven books and over 225 scientific papers.
- His research shaped public opinion and official policies on biodiversity conservation.
Advocacy and Vision Emphasized the role of communication and grassroots activism in driving environmental change.
- Continues to inspire collective action to address ecological crises.
Other Awards and Recognition: Gadgil’s wide-ranging contributions throughout the years have earned him some of India’s highest civilian honours including the Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan awards.
- He also received the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement and the Volvo Environment Prize .
- He is often known as ‘“people’s scientist”

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