GUWAHATI: Renowned conservationist from Nagaland Nuklu Phom on Wednesday won the prestigious ‘Whitley Awards 2021’. Phom was among the six winners of the prestigious award.
The virtual award ceremony was scheduled to be held on May 12 at around 11.30 p.m., to be hosted live by Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN) ambassadors Kate Humble and Tom Heap. The ceremony would honour six grassroots conservationists with Whitley Awards – providing winners with funding, training and profile.
After a comprehensive assessment, 15 names were initially shortlisted, out of 107 candidates, that were identified for doing incredible work with communities to safeguard wildlife, habitats, and the future of society. Out of the 15 candidates, the Whitley Fund for Nature narrowed down to six finalists, including Y. Nuklu Phom.
Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio congratulated Phom on winning the prestigious award. The Chief Minister Tweeted, “Congratulations to Nuklu Phom the only person from India to win the prestigious #WhitleyAwards 2021 for his work; “Establishing a biodiversity peace corridor’.
The award is one of the world’s leading prizes for grassroots conservation. My best wishes for all his future endeavours.”
Congratulations to Nuklu Phom the only person from India to win the prestigious #WhitleyAwards 2021 for his work; “Establishing a biodiversity peace corridor’.
The award is one of the world’s leading prizes for grassroots conservation. My best wishes for all his future endeavours pic.twitter.com/ypfE6PyIwb— Neiphiu Rio (@Neiphiu_Rio) May 13, 2021
It is to be mentioned that the Whitley Awards are held annually by the Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN) to recognise and celebrate effective grassroots conservation leaders across the Global South. The charity’s flagship conservation prizes, worth £40,000 in project funding over one year, are won competitively following assessment by an expert academic panel and are now amongst the most high profile of conservation prizes. Often referred to by others as “Green Oscars”, the Awards seek to recognise outstanding contributions to wildlife conservation with a focus on Asia, Africa and Latin America, bringing international attention to the work of deserving individuals committed to precipitating long-lasting conservation benefits on the ground, with the support of local communities. In addition to the funding aspect of the Whitley Awards, WFN also provides media and speech training to enable winners to effectively communicate their work and inspire further philanthropic support.