Ecologist Madhav Gadgil named one of six ‘Champions of the Earth’ by UNEP
Gadgil’s research has helped to protect marginalised people, promote the community-driven conservation of ecosystems, from forests to wetlands, and influence policymaking at the highest level
India’s veteran ecologist, Madhav Gadgil has been named as one of the six ‘Champions of the Earth’ by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) for 2024.
The annual Champions of the Earth award, the UN’s highest environmental honour, recognises trailblazers at the forefront of efforts to protect people and the planet.
Since 2005, the award has recognised 122 laureates for outstanding and inspirational environmental leadership.
This year’s champions include Madhav Gadgil who has been honoured in the “lifetime achievement” category.
“He has spent decades protecting people and the planet through research and community engagement. From landmark environmental impact assessments of state and national policies to grassroots environmental engagement, Gadgil’s work has greatly influenced public opinion and official policies on the protection of natural resources. He is renowned for his seminal work in the ecologically fragile Western Ghats region of India, which is a unique global biodiversity hotspot,” UNEP states.
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The other five awardees include, Sonia Guajajara, Brazil’s Minister of Indigenous Peoples honoured in the Policy Leadership category; Amy Bowers Cordalis, an Indigenous rights advocate honoured in the Inspiration and Action category from US; Gabriel Paun, a Romanian environmental defender honoured in the Inspiration and Action category; Lu Qi, a Chinese scientist honoured in the Science and Innovation category, has worked in science and policy sectors for three decades helping China reverse degradation and shrink its deserts; Sekem, a sustainable agriculture initiative honoured in the Entrepreneurial Vision category, is helping farmers in Egypt transition to more sustainable agriculture.
“In a scientific career that has spanned six decades – taking him from the halls of Harvard University to the upper echelons of India’s government – Gadgil has always considered himself a “people’s scientist,” the UNEP has added.
Gadgil’s research has helped to protect marginalised people, promote the community-driven conservation of ecosystems, from forests to wetlands, and influence policymaking at the highest level.
Of the seven books and at least 225 scientific papers he has written, Gadgil’s landmark work, dubbed the Gadgil Report, called for the protection of India’s ecologically fragile Western Ghats Mountain range in the face of growing threats from industry and the climate crisis. For his vast contributions, Gadgil has been named a 2024 Champion of the Earth – the United Nations’ highest environmental honour – in the Lifetime Achievement category. He is one of six laureates in the2024 cohort, the citation added.
“I am very happy and satisfied,” he said to HT over phone, following a pause to drink water.
“I have been talking since morning,” the octogenerian said laughing.
On his expectations, Gadgil said, “I hope that people will get organised, they will build pressure, our recommendations are in the interest of the larger mass of people in the country. This is more and more possible in the era of communication.”
On his work as a people’s scientist, “In the areas which have been granted community forest rights by interaction with the gram sabhas in such villages, has been very rewarding. I have managed to help them because now they have knowledge of their resources, I managed to provide them with some technical input in gathering that information. It has been a very happy experience.”
“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. I’m a durable optimist – and hopeful that this progress will continue to gather pace,” Gadgil has told UNEP.
Gadgil is known for chairing the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel in 2011 which had ominous findings for the Western Ghats region.
Gadgil panel had recommended that 75% of the 129,037 sq km area of the Western Ghats be declared environmentally sensitive because of its dense forests and the presence of a large number of endemic species. This was found to be controversial, with many states deeming it too restrictive. Three years later, a second panel, headed by rocket scientist K Kasturirangan, scaled down the area to 50%. The Kasturirangan report’s recommendations were further diluted, and four draft notifications have since been issued.
HT reported on July 31 that the eco-sensitive areas along the Western Ghats are yet to be notified by the Centre, 13 years since the first such demarcation was recommended by a panel led by eminent ecologist Madhav Gadgil in 2011. It also recommended placing the Ghat areas of Kerala’s Wayanad where over 250 persons were killed in landslides this monsoon. The landslide followed an exceptional spell of monsoon rain that lashed Kerala on July 30.
“Almost 40% of the world’s land is already degraded, desertification is on the rise and devastating droughts are becoming more regular. The good news is that solutions already exist today, and around the world, extraordinary individuals and organizations are demonstrating that it is possible to defend and heal our planet,” said Inger Andersen, executive director of UNEP in a statement on Tuesday.
“The efforts of the 2024 Champions of the Earth stand tall as a reminder that the fight to protect our land, our rivers and our oceans is a fight we can win. With the right policies, scientific breakthroughs, system reforms, activism, as well as the vital leadership and wisdom of Indigenous Peoples, we can restore our ecosystems”, the statement said.
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