Abu Dhabi: Sonali Ghosh, Indian Forest Service officer (2000-2003 batch) and Field Director of Kaziranga National Park, has become the first Indian to receive the Kenton R. Miller Award for Innovation in National Parks and Protected Area Sustainability, presented by the World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). She was honoured alongside Ecuadorian politician and environmentalist Roque Simón Sevilla Larrea at a ceremony in Abu Dhabi.
Sonali Ghosh, who also serves as CEO of the Assam Agroforestry Development Board, became the first woman to be appointed Field Director of Kaziranga National Park in September 2023. With over 23 years of experience in wildlife conservation, she has held key positions across India’s premier protected areas, including Kaziranga and Manas. She has also served as Deputy Inspector General of Forests at the Central Zoo Authority, with additional responsibilities in NTCA and the Wildlife Division of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
A specialist in forestry, wildlife science, and environmental law, Ghosh holds postgraduate degrees in these fields along with a doctorate in remote-sensing technology for tiger habitat suitability in the Indo-Bhutan Manas landscape. She has contributed extensively to research with over 35 peer-reviewed papers and three co-edited books. Her career also includes a tenure as Director of the Swachh Bharat Mission, where she advanced India’s Open Defecation-Free movement through behaviour change approaches, and work with UNESCO’s Centre for World Natural Heritage to strengthen global conservation efforts.
A statement from the IUCN said Ghosh was recognised for championing a “model of conservation rooted in community engagement, awareness-building, and the seamless integration of traditional ecological knowledge with modern scientific expertise”. Her approach has been particularly effective in the biodiverse landscapes of Manas and Kaziranga in Assam.
Roque Simón Sevilla Larrea, an economist, businessman, environmentalist, and politician, was awarded for promoting “sustainability through various companies, including tourism, insurance, and the environment”. He is also the founder and president of Grupo Futuro, which manages 19 businesses across insurance, medical services, tourism, agriculture, and clean energy.
Past recipients of the Kenton R. Miller Award include organisations and individuals recognised for pioneering community-based conservation, ecosystem restoration, and marine protected area management, reflecting the global emphasis on combining scientific knowledge with local engagement to achieve sustainable conservation outcomes.
Sonali Ghosh was also included in Bureaucrats India’s list of Top 24 Changemakers of 2024, recognising her leadership, innovation, and impact in conservation and public service.
BI Bureau
