Context: Recently, Indian wildlife biologist Dr Purnima Devi Barman was awarded with Champions of the Earth award in the Entrepreneurial vision category.

• She was given the award as she campaigned to protect the 'hargila' or stork, in 2007 in Assam’s Kamrup District where the birds were most concentrated.

About the Purnima Devi Barman

• Barman has been working with local communities – women, specifically – in Assam for more than a decade now to conserve the greater adjutant stork, an endangered wetland bird whose numbers have been declining due to habitat destruction and cutting down of nesting trees. The entire team is “extremely honoured” to win the award.

• Barman won the award this year in the ‘Entrepreneurial Vision’ category, for her trail-blazing work in protecting the greater adjutant stork, called ‘hargila’ in Assamese. Hargilas are five-foot-tall birds that dwell in wetlands in some parts of southeast Asia including India and Cambodia.

• There are only 1,200-odd hargilas remaining in the world, as per a 2016 IUCN Red List update which lists the bird as ‘Endangered’. In India, hargilas are found in Assam and Bihar. Assam is home to the largest population – around 1,000 individuals – of these birds, according to Barman.

Champions of the earth awards

• It is the UN's highest environmental honour since 2005.

• It was established by United Nations Environment Program.

• It is given to people who inspire, encourage others to join them and defend sustainable development for environment.

They are chosen from 5 categories:

• Policy leadership – individuals or organizations in the public sector leading global or national action for the environment.

• Inspiration and action – those who inspires positive change to protect world.

• Entrepreneurial vision – people who challenges status quo to build a cleaner future.

• They build systems, create new technology for environment.

• Science and innovation– people who stresses on technology for environmental benefit.

• They invent possibilities of a sustainable world.

• Lifetime Achievement - recognises decades of consistent action on behalf of the planet and its inhabitants.

Greater adjutant stork

• They are the second-rarest stork species in the world.

• They are large birds height ranges from 120 to 152 cm with 250 cm wingspan.

• They are scavengers (consumes corpses).

• They are also known as "hargila" means bone swallower.

• Found in: Northeast India and Southeast asia.

• They are native to savanna or grassland forests.

• They breed only in Brahmaputra Valley of Assam.

• In early 20th century, they breed throughout Northern India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Southern Vietnam.

• Habitats- marshes, lakes, jheels (shallow expansive lakes), grasslands and fields.

• They nest in large trees and rock pinnacles near human settlements.

• They have long, thick yellow bill and sparsely feathered yellow or pink head and neck.

• Their necks have inflatable gular pouch.

• They are a non-migratory species but makes local movement for nesting sites.

• They defecate on their legs to lower body temperature in hot environments.

• As a result of this cooling mechanism, legs of these birds are often stained white with uric acid.

• They have no natural predators reported.

Threats

• Habitat loss of feeding and nesting.

• Through drainage of wetlands, disturbance, pollution.

• Persecution due to its status as a pest.

• Reduction of open dumps of carcasses and foodstuffs is threat to them.

• Their population has dropped to 1,200 today, less than 1 % of what they numbered a century ago.

Conservation status

• IUCN Red List: Endangered

• CITES: No special status