Why in News?
The Whitley Awards, often referred to as the "Green Oscars," are in the news because the 2026 winners were announced on April 29, 2026. This year, two Indian conservationists, Parveen Shaikh and Barkha Subba, were among the six global recipients honoured for their grassroots wildlife conservation efforts.
Indian Success:
- Parveen Shaikh: Won for her "Guardian" model to protect the Indian Skimmer (an endangered riverine bird) in the Ganga and Chambal basins.
- Barkha Subba: Won for leading the first grassroots movement to save the Himalayan salamander in the Darjeeling Himalaya.
General Overview
- Established: Founded in 1993 (first awarded in 1994) by Edward Whitley.
- Purpose: To recognize and fund effective grassroots conservation leaders in the Global South (biodiversity-rich, resource-poor countries).
- Organizer: The Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN), a UK-based charity.
- Alias: Widely known as the "Green Oscars" due to their prestige in the environmental sector.
The Prize & Support
- Funding: Each standard winner receives £50,000 (approx. ₹52 lakh) in project funding for one year.
- Gold Award: A past winner is selected annually for the Whitley Gold Award (worth £100,000 in 2026) to scale up their work.
- Beyond Cash: Winners receive professional training in media, speech, and networking to help them influence policy and reach global audiences.
Selection Criteria
- Focus: Must be locally led, science-based, and involve the local community.
- Geography: Primarily targets projects in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
- Impact: Aims for "near-zero latency" in conservation action, focusing on species on the brink of extinction.
Full List of 2026 Winners
| Winner |
Country |
Project / Species |
| Farwiza Farhan (Gold) |
Indonesia |
Leuser Ecosystem (Sumatra) |
| Parveen Shaikh |
India |
Indian Skimmer (Ganga/Chambal) |
| Barkha Subba |
India |
Himalayan Salamander (Darjeeling) |
| Issah Seidu |
Ghana |
Guitarfish (Western Coastline) |
| Marina Kameni |
Cameroon |
Endemic Amphibians (Mt. Manengouba) |
| Moreangels Mbizah |
Zimbabwe |
Lions (Lower Zambezi Valley) |
| Paola Sangolquí |
Ecuador |
Galápagos Petrel |
Famous Indian "Green Oscar" Winners
- Purnima Devi Barman (2017 & 2024 Gold): For her "Hargila Army" protecting the Greater Adjutant Stork.
- Charudutt Mishra (2022 Gold): For snow leopard conservation across Asia.
- Nuklu Phom (2021): For establishing biodiversity peace corridors in Nagaland.
- Sanjay Gubbi (2017): For leopard conservation and tiger corridor protection.
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