Historic win: Kaziranga Tiger Reserve Director Sonali Ghosh received IUCN's top conservation innovation award

Dr Sonali Ghosh, Director of Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve, has become the first Indian to win the prestigious WCPA-Kenton Miller Award for innovation in national parks and protected area sustainability. The award was presented at the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Abu Dhabi on Friday, alongside Ecuador's Roque Simón Sevilla Larrea, a noted economist and environmentalist.

The Kenton R. Miller Award is a biennial award given by the IUCN WCPA, the World Commission on Protected Areas. Named after Dr Kenton R. Miller, a distinguished leader in protected area management and former Director General of IUCN, it honours innovative contributions that significantly enhance the sustainability of national parks and protected areas globally. The ceremony at the World Parks Congress was attended by over 3,000 delegates and included the Miller family, IUCN Director General Dr Grethel Aguilar, and senior conservation officials.

Dr Ghosh was recognised for her innovative approach to protected area governance. She critically acknowledges the colonial origins of conservation models while affirming the vital rights and roles of indigenous communities, and has championed a model rooted in community engagement, awareness-building, and the seamless integration of traditional ecological knowledge with modern scientific expertise, an ethos especially impactful in Manas and Kaziranga.

Ghosh became the first woman Director of the 120-year-old Kaziranga National Park in August 2023. She topped the Indian Forest Service examination in the 2000 batch and holds advanced qualifications in forest and wildlife sciences, environmental law, and remote sensing technology. Her work has highlighted a holistic conservation approach combining scientific management, local community engagement, and eco-tourism strategies across Assam's protected ecosystems.

Union Minister Kirti Vardhan Singh, who attended the IUCN Congress, reaffirmed India's commitment to working with global partners towards sustainability. The co-recipient Roque Simón Sevilla Larrea is known for advancing sustainability across multiple sectors including tourism, insurance, agriculture, and clean energy.