Understanding the Whitley Award and 2021 Winner

The Whitley Award is a prestigious international nature conservation prize awarded annually by the Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN). It recognizes conservation leaders working in the Global South who are finding innovative ways to tackle biodiversity loss. Often referred to as the 'Green Oscars', the award provides funding and international recognition to support the winners' conservation work.

Who Won the Whitley Award in 2021?

In 2021, among the conservationists honored, Nuklu Phom from Nagaland, India, was a recipient of the Whitley Award. His work focuses on creating biodiversity peace corridors in Nagaland, involving local communities in conservation efforts, particularly concerning the Amur falcon migration.

• Nuklu Phom was specifically recognized for his initiative to establish a community-led biodiversity peace corridor in the Longleng district of Nagaland.
• His project successfully involved local communities in protecting forests and wildlife, including the crucial stopover site for the Amur falcons during their annual migration.
• This community-based approach highlights the importance of integrating traditional practices and local knowledge with modern conservation strategies.

Therefore, Nuklu Phom is the correct individual who won the Whitley Award in 2021 for his significant contributions to conservation in Nagaland.

Looking at the other options provided:

• Abdullahi Hussain Ali is a conservationist, also a Whitley Award winner, but not specifically in 2021. He won in 2018 for his work in Somalia.
• Jose Sarsola does not appear to be a prominent Whitley Award winner in recent years based on available information for 2021.
• Medha Patkar is a well-known social activist in India, primarily associated with the Narmada Bachao Andolan and other environmental and social justice movements, but is not known to have won the Whitley Award.

Based on the information regarding the 2021 recipients of the Whitley Award, Nuklu Phom was indeed one of the winners.