Indian Scientist Parveen Shaikh Wins 2026 Whitley Award for Conservation Work

The Indian scientist Parveen Shaikh has been awarded the prestigious 2026 Whitley Award by the Whitley Fund for the Nature. This award recognizes the her impactful work to protecting the endangered Indian Skimmer and it aims to expand her community-led conservation model to the Prayagraj in the Ganga Basin This award ceremony was held at the Royal Geographical Society and the award presented by Princess Anne and highlighted the global recognition of grassroots conservation efforts.

Indian Skimmer: A Rare and Endangered River Bird

The Indian Skimmer is the unique and endangered bird species which is easily identified by the its bright orange bill and distinctive feeding style and skimming river surfaces to catch fish.

India hosts over the 90% of the global population of Indian Skimmer which is around 3,000 birds.

Also the their nests are on sandbars and mid-river islands.

They are highly sensitive to river flow changes and habitat disturbance.

Due to their habitat loss and environmental degradation this species has disappeared from much of the historic range across Southeast Asia.

Community-Led Conservation: The Guardian Model

At the central part of the Parveen Shaikh’s success is her innovative community-driven approaches.

Key Features of the Initiative

• The local villagers trained as the nest guardians.
• Also the continuous scientific monitoring of nests.
• The protection from the predators and the human disturbance.
• Also to building a sense of ownership in which locals now call them ‘our birds’

This model has delivered the measurable success.

• Also the nest survival rate has increased from 14% to 27%
• The population grew from the 400 (2017) to nearly the 1,000 birds.

This transformation will highlights the power of the community participation in conservation.

Expansion to Prayagraj: The New Challenge

With the support of the Whitley Award funding this project will expand to the Prayagraj where the Ganga River and Yamuna River meet.

However the conservation here faces the unique challenges,

• Like the heavy pilgrimage activities.
• The large gatherings like the Kumbh Mela.
• The boat traffic and fishing pressure.
• And the pollution and habitat disturbance.

Despite these challenges the expansion is aims to protect the critical breeding sites and restore habitats.

Role of Institutions and Scientific Support

The initiative is supported by the Bombay Natural History Society which is one of the India’s leading conservation research organizations.

The planned interventions have includes the,

• The appointment of the more local nest guardians.
• Installation of the predator-proof fencing.
• The experimentation with the artificial nesting platforms.