GUWAHATI: The Whitley Awards, often dubbed the 'Green Oscars', have honoured Purnima Devi Barman with the 2024 Whitley Gold Award for her outstanding work in conserving the greater adjutant stork and its wetlands habitat in the state.
Barman will receive £100,000 for her efforts, which have transformed both the outlook for the scavenger bird and the local women, known as "Stork Sisters," who have become conservation leaders.
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The Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN) annually celebrates grassroots conservation leaders for their innovative solutions and community-based approaches to save some of the world's most fragile ecosystems. Winners of the Whitley Awards are provided with funding to scale up their conservation efforts and broaden their global impact.
Barman's dedication to saving the greater adjutant stork has resulted in a significant increase in nesting colonies. In one such colony in Kamrup district, the number of nests rose from just 27 in 2007 to 250 in 2021. This success story is largely attributed to Barman's "Hargila Army" of over ten thousand local women who have worked to protect the bird and its habitat. The project has rescued more than 500 greater adjutant chicks that fell from nests, while also planting 45,000 saplings near the stork nesting trees and wetland areas to increase nesting habitat.
Barman's conservation approach goes beyond environmental protection. She and her Stork Sisters have initiated awareness campaigns, produced textiles with greater adjutant motifs, and conducted outreach programmes in schools and villages. Their village-to-village campaigns involve surprise field visits and educational sessions with locals.
As part of her continued efforts, Barman plans to more than double the global population of the greater adjutant stork to 5,000. She aims to expand her campaigns, which have primarily spread by word of mouth, with the support of her female-led "Hargila Army." This group of women not only contributes to the conservation of the bird but also empowers thousands of women, enhancing their livelihoods and driving social change within their communities.
The Whitley Awards recognise leaders in the conservation space from around the world. This year, winners are working to save ecosystems in India, Brazil, Bhutan, Papua New Guinea, Guyana, Cameroon, and Nepal.
