In News:

India has achieved a landmark moment in global conservation as Dr. Sonali Ghosh, Field Director of Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve (Assam), became the first Indian to receive the prestigious IUCN WCPA Kenton Miller Award 2025. The honour was announced at the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Abu Dhabi, highlighting India’s rising leadership in biodiversity governance and protected-area innovation.

About the IUCN Kenton Miller Award

• Instituted: 1999
• Presented by:IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA)
• Named after: Dr. Kenton R. Miller, eminent conservationist & former IUCN Director-General
• Purpose:Recognisesoutstanding innovation and excellence in the sustainability and governance of protected areas
• Eligibility: Protected-area managers, researchers, community/indigenous conservation practitioners
• Award Components:
  • USD 5,000 grant
  • Global citation
  • Sponsored participation at the IUCN Congress

Significance of Dr. Ghosh’s Contribution

Dr. Ghosh has been awarded for pioneering inclusive and sustainable protected-area management across the Kaziranga-Orang-Manas landscape. Key initiatives include:

• Community-centric conservation: Empowering local and indigenous communities as co-stewards
• Eco-tourism models: Ensuring livelihood security while safeguarding biodiversity
• Anti-poaching and habitat security: Strengthening surveillance and ecological connectivity
• Gender inclusion: Promoting women’s participation in frontline conservation forces

Her leadership reflects India’s approach to biodiversity protection through grassroots participation, science-based governance, and livelihood integration.

Broader Context: India at the IUCN Congress

At the Congress, India reiterated its commitment to global environmental cooperation. Union Minister Kirti Vardhan Singh engaged with international delegates and IUCN leadership on advancing shared conservation goals, reinforcing India's stance as a proactive global environmental actor.

About IUCN and the World Conservation Congress

• Founded: 1948
• HQ: Switzerland
• Global network of governments, NGOs, and experts from 160+ countries
• World Conservation Congress: Held every four years to set global biodiversity priorities

Previous Winner (2023)

• Maria del Carmen Garcia Rivas (Mexico) – Honoured for community-led management of marine protected areas.