In a historic achievement for Indian conservation, Dr. Sonali Ghosh, IFS, the Field Director of the renowned Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve, has become the first Indian to be conferred the prestigious IUCN WCPA-Kenton R. Miller Award for Innovation in National Parks and Protected Area Sustainability.
The award, presented by the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA), was announced at the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Abu Dhabi. It recognizes Dr. Ghosh’s exemplary and innovative leadership in managing one of the world’s most critical biodiversity hotspots.
Dr. Ghosh was honored for her transformative, on-the-ground work in Kaziranga, a UNESCO World Heritage Site famous for its one-horned rhinoceros population. Her approach has been widely lauded for combining scientific expertise with community-centric practices.
The award specifically recognized her efforts in:
- Flood Resilience: Leading adaptive response and recovery strategies during the annual catastrophic floods in Kaziranga, which significantly reduced wildlife mortality and improved the park’s overall resilience.
- Community Engagement: Championing a model of “inclusive conservation” that integrates local communities and traditional ecological knowledge into park management, moving away from a traditional “parks versus people” narrative.
- Strengthening Protection: Enhancing anti-poaching operations, improving staff welfare for frontline forest personnel, and promoting sustainable, eco-friendly tourism models.
An Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer of the 2000 batch, Dr. Ghosh also made history in September 2023 by becoming the first woman Field Director of Kaziranga National Park. Her achievement places India’s conservation efforts on the global map, highlighting the success of science-led and people-inclusive protected area management.
