Guwahati, Oct 11: Dr Sonali Ghosh, Field Director of Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve, has become the first Indian to receive the WCPA–Kenton Miller Award, announced at the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Abu Dhabi on Friday.

The award, instituted by the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA), recognises exceptional innovation and leadership in the sustainable management of national parks and protected areas. It is named in memory of Dr Kenton R. Miller, a former IUCN Director General.

Dr Ghosh’s work in Kaziranga, as well as in other protected areas in Assam including Manas and Orang, highlights a holistic conservation approach, combining scientific management, local community engagement, and eco-tourism strategies to support environmental and economic sustainability.

Union Minister of State for Environment, Forests, and Climate Change, and External Affairs, Kirti Vardhan Singh, attending the Congress, underscored India’s commitment to global conservation efforts and shared his discussions with IUCN Director-General Dr Grethel Aguilar and international counterparts on advancing conservation-led development.

Founded in 1948, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is a Switzerland-based network of governments, organizations, and experts from over 160 countries. The Kenton Miller Award is presented every four years, with Mexico’s Maria del Carmen Garcia Rivas being the 2023 recipient for her community-focused marine conservation work.