🌍 Chapter 05 · Topic 05 · International Awards

Environment & Peace Awards

Goldman Environmental Prize, UN Champions of the Earth, Right Livelihood Award, Nobel Peace Prize — Indian winners.

🌿 Goldman Environmental Prize

Called the “Green Nobel”
Established in 1990 by Richard and Rhoda Goldman
Awarded annually to grassroots environmental activists from six continental regions: Africa, Asia, Europe, Islands and Island Nations, North America, South and Central America
Prize: $200,000
Notable Indian recipients:
- Medha Patkar (1992) — Narmada Bachao Andolan
- M.C. Mehta (1996) — environmental lawyer; Supreme Court cases
- Rashida Bee and Champa Devi Shukla (2004) — Bhopal gas tragedy survivors
- Ramveer Tanwar (2020) — “Pond Man of India”; wetland conservation in UP

🌍 UN Champions of the Earth

The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Champions of the Earth is the UN’s highest environmental honour
Awarded annually to outstanding leaders from government, civil society, and the private sector
Categories: Policy Leadership, Science and Innovation, Entrepreneurial Vision, Inspiration and Action, Lifetime Achievement
Notable Indian recipients:
- Narendra Modi (2018) — Policy Leadership; for India’s commitment to renewable energy and the International Solar Alliance
- Cochin International Airport (2018) — Entrepreneurial Vision; first fully solar-powered airport

☮️ Nobel Peace Prize — Indian Recipients

Recipient	Year	Reason
Mother Teresa	1979	Work among the poorest of the poor in Calcutta; Missionaries of Charity
Kailash Satyarthi	2014	Struggle against suppression of children; right to education; jointly with Malala Yousafzai

🌿 Other Environment Awards

Award	Given by	Indian/Notable Winners
Right Livelihood Award	Right Livelihood Foundation, Sweden	“Alternative Nobel”; Vandana Shiva (1993); Aruna Roy (2011); Bezwada Wilson (2016)
Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement	University of Southern California	M.S. Swaminathan (1991); Madhav Gadgil (2015)
Stockholm Water Prize	Stockholm International Water Institute	Rajendra Singh (2015) — “Waterman of India”
UNEP Sasakawa Prize	UNEP	For outstanding contributions to environmental protection

⭐ Vandana Shiva — Right Livelihood Award (1993): Dr. Vandana Shiva is an Indian environmental activist, author, and anti-globalisation advocate. She received the Right Livelihood Award (Alternative Nobel) in 1993 for her work on biodiversity conservation, sustainable agriculture, and women’s rights. She founded Navdanya (Nine Seeds) — a movement for seed sovereignty and organic farming. She has been a vocal critic of GMO crops and the patenting of seeds by multinational corporations.

📌 Rajendra Singh — “Waterman of India”: Rajendra Singh is an Indian water conservationist from Rajasthan who received the Stockholm Water Prize in 2015 — often called the “Nobel Prize for Water.” He is known for reviving traditional water harvesting structures (johads) in Rajasthan, which helped restore rivers and groundwater levels. He also received the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 2001. He is called the “Waterman of India” for his work in water conservation.

✅ Revision Checklist

✅ Goldman Environmental Prize = “Green Nobel” = 1990 = $200,000 = grassroots activists
✅ Medha Patkar = 1992 = Narmada Bachao Andolan
✅ M.C. Mehta = 1996 = environmental lawyer
✅ UN Champions of the Earth = UNEP’s highest environmental honour
✅ Narendra Modi = 2018 = UN Champions of the Earth = Policy Leadership
✅ Mother Teresa = Nobel Peace Prize 1979
✅ Kailash Satyarthi = Nobel Peace Prize 2014 = jointly with Malala Yousafzai
✅ Right Livelihood Award = “Alternative Nobel” = Vandana Shiva (1993)
✅ Stockholm Water Prize = Rajendra Singh (2015) = “Waterman of India”