UNEP Sasakawa Environment Prize
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SCIENTIST FROM INDIA AWARDED PRESTIGIOUS
UNITED NATIONS ENVIRONMENT PRIZE
NAIROBI, 5 November 1996 -- The United Nations
Environment Programme (UNEP) announced today that the
1996 UNEP Sasakawa Environment Prize has been awarded to
Dr. Triloki Nath Khoshoo, a scientist from India, for his
outstanding contributions to the protection and management of
the environment.
"Dr. Khoshoo's environmental work has been wide ranging and
he has pursued his goals, always in the interest of the
environment, with determination and consummate skill and
success, and he has had a marked influence in the societies
where he has worked," said Lord Stanley Clinton-Davis,
Acting Chairman of the Prize Selection Committee."
For more than 30 years, Dr. Khoshoo has been an advocate of
strong regional environmental planning for long-term ecological
and economic security, particularly in the developing country
context.
"Dr. Khoshoo's conservation work in cytogenetics, biological
diversity, biomass production and environmental research and
development have been significant and his efforts have earned
him a place as a leader in the environmental field," said Ms.
Elizabeth Dowdeswell, UNEP Executive Director.
Dr. Khoshoo has generated considerable new knowledge
regarding the genetic-evolutionary race history of a number of
plants. Based on this knowledge, he has delineated, for the
first time, centres of their diversity and origin, circumscribed
gene pools and standardized procedures for studying the
taxonomy of cultivated plants. His research in ornamental
horticulture is recognized not only for its high scientific
quality, but also for enriching the environment.
Dr. Khoshoo has also initiated work on the standardization of
herbal drugs and compound formulation, particularly for rural
use and development. He has recently turned his attention to
the evolutionary implications of the variation in DNA content
in chromosomes of gymnospermous taxa and other trees and
relating these data to their habitat and other aspects of the
environment. This work has been of considerable practical
importance as it has helped map out forest tree breeding
programmes for this economically and environmentally
important group of plants.
His preemptive strategies, while Secretary to the Government
of India's Department of Environment, were based on sound
scientific analyses and resulted in policies which helped insulate
the country from further environmental damage.
Upon receiving the news of being awarded the Prize, Dr.
Khoshoo said "I accept this award with a deep sense of
humility. I will, with redoubled dedication and conviction,
pursue my work for this biodiversity-rich and technology-poor
region. This accolade adds to my responsibility which I will
try my best to discharge."
The official award ceremony, scheduled to take place in New
Delhi, India on 30 November 1996, will be attended by a
number of dignitaries including Her Royal Highness Princess
Chulabhorn of Thailand, Lord Stanley Clinton-Davis and
UNEP's Executive Director.
Note to Editors
The UNEP Sasakawa Environment Prize, worth U$200,000 is
considered one of the most prestigious environmental awards
in the world. Past winners include: Chico Mendes, the rubber
tapper from Brazil, who died leading the fight against the cattle
ranchers' destruction of the rainforest; Dr. M.S. Swaminathan
of India, the father of the economic ecology movement; and
Lester Brown, Director of the WorldWatch Institute, whose
writings were instrumental in alerting the world about the
threats to the biosphere.
The Prize winners are selected by a distinguished panel of
international leaders and environmentalists, including: Dr.
Misael Pastrana Borrero, former President of Colombia; Her
Royal Highness Princess Chulabhorn of Thailand; Lord Stanley
Clinton-Davis; Dr. Russell Peterson, President Emeritus of the
National Audubon Society; Professor Wangari Maathai,
founder and director of the Kenyan Greenbelt Movement; and
Dr. Abdulbar Al-Gain, President of the Meteorology and
Environmental Protection Administration of Saudi Arabia.
For more information, and to obtain 1997 nomination forms
contact:
Ms. Elisabeth Guilbaud-Cox
Secretary,
UNEP Sasakawa Environment Prize
P.O. Box 30552
Nairobi, Kenya
Tel: (254-2) 62 3401
Fax: (254-2) 62 3927
E-mail: elisabeth.guilbaud@unep.org
Mr. Robert Bisset
Media/Information Officer
Information & Public Affairs
P.O. Box 30552
Nairobi, Kenya
Tel: (254-2) 62 3084
Fax: (254-2) 62 3692
E-mail: robert.bisset@unep.org
UNEP News Release 1996/61
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