Context: Recently, Alok Shukla, convenor of the Chhattisgarh Bachao Andolan and founding member of the Hasdeo Aranya Bachao Sangharsh Samiti, has been awarded the 2024 Goldman Prize from Asia.

About Goldman Environmental Prize

• The Prize recognizes individuals for sustained and significant efforts to protect and enhance the natural environment, often at great personal risk.

• It is also known as the Green Nobel.

• It recognizes grassroots environmental heroes from roughly the world’s six inhabited continental regions: Africa, Asia, Europe,Islands & Island Nations, North America and South & Central America

• The Goldman Prize views “grassroots” leaders as those involved in local efforts, where positive change is created through community or citizen participation.

• The first Goldman Environmental Prize ceremony took place on April 16, 1990. It was timed to coincide with Earth Day.

About Hasdeo Aranya: A Biodiversity Hotspot

• The Hasdeo Aranya forests span 657 square miles and form a critical habitat for endangered species such as tigers, Asian elephants, leopards, and sloth bears.

• The region is home to 92 bird species and 167 rare and medicinal plant species.

• Nearly 15,000 Indigenous people (Adivasi) depend on the forests for their livelihood and cultural identity.

Key facts about Hasdeo Aranya region

• It is a sprawling forest in the northern part of Chhattisgarh which is known for its biodiversity and also its coal deposits.

• The forest falls under Korba, Surajpur and Sarguja districts with sizeable tribal population.

• The Hasdeo River, a tributary of Mahanadi, flows through it.

• It is the largest un-fragmented forests in Central India consisting of pristine Sal (Shorea robusta) and teak forests.

Impact and Recognition

• Shukla’s efforts led to the cancellation of 21 coal blocks by the state government in July 2022.

• The Hasdeo movement has become a model for environmental justice in India, generating unprecedented national and regional solidarity.

• The Goldman Environmental Prize recognizes Shukla’s leadership and dedication to protecting the Hasdeo Aranya forests and supporting the rights of Indigenous communities.