Guwahati: Assam’s Dr. Bibhuti Prasad Lahkar, a senior scientist at the research-based biodiversity conservation organization Aaranyak, has been awarded the prestigious 2024/25 Neville Shulman Award by Earthwatch Europe.
This prestigious award recognizes exceptional contributions to environmental research and conservation.
Dr. Lahkar, who heads Aaranyak’s Elephant Research and Conservation Division, has dedicated his career to protecting Asian elephants, addressing the challenges faced by human-elephant conflict (HEC) affected communities, and promoting sustainable grassland management in the region.
Expressing gratitude to Earthwatch for the support, he said, “My project focuses on engaging young researchers in the conservation of wildlife and its habitat in Assam. I am interested in empowering and capacitating the youth who can be the future custodians of the rich biodiversity of Northeast India.”
The Neville Shulman Earthwatch Awards give individuals from across the world the opportunity to receive funding to undertake meaningful new research, increase local community engagement in environmental projects, and tackle some of the planet’s biggest environmental challenges.
It award is aimed at supporting scientists in the early stages of their careers, where access to small funding grants can be crucial to developing their research and empowering the communities and local organizations with whom they work.
Lahkar, a wildlife biologist, is the only Indian to receive the 2024/25 Neville Shulman Award, sharing the honour with two other renowned scientists from around the world.
This recognition underscores Dr. Lahkar’s significant contributions to conservation science and his commitment to addressing critical environmental challenges in Northeast India and beyond.
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Earthwatch Europe is an environmental NGO founded in 1971. It helps people take action to protect the nature around them. The organization connects people with nature and gives them the tools they need to fight for the planet.
