The United Nations awarded ecologist Madhav Gadgil the Champions of the Earth award for his exceptional work in conserving the Western Ghats, a vital biodiversity hotspot. Gadgil, the only Indian recipient this year, chaired the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel, which studied the region’s environmental challenges.
In 2011, the panel recommended declaring the Western Ghats an Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA) and dividing it into three zones based on vulnerability. It also proposed banning mining and large-scale infrastructure in the most sensitive areas (ESZ 1). Despite opposition, Gadgil’s work laid the groundwork for future conservation.
In 2012, UNESCO named the Western Ghats a World Heritage Site. The following year, a High-Level Working Group, led by K. Kasturirangan, identified 37% of the region as ecologically sensitive, covering nearly 60,000 square kilometers.
