Wokha Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Suman Shivashankar Sivachar was honoured with the Eco Warrior Award for Environment Conservation at the 4th Eco Warrior Awards and Eco Warrior Conclave held in New Delhi on Tuesday.
Sivachar was recognised for his work in Amur falcon protection, community engagement and conservation of the Doyang Reservoir in Nagaland. He was among 15 forest officers and conservation professionals recognised at the event organised by the Indian Forest Service Association (IFSA) and Indian Masterminds.
Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Bhupender Yadav, who presided over the event, described conservation as a national responsibility and highlighted the role of forest personnel and tribal and forest-dependent communities as partners in conservation.
Yadav said India’s forests provide critical ecological services supporting water, climate, soil, biodiversity and livelihoods. He said conservation challenges have become increasingly complex, with forest officers required to balance development, livelihoods, human aspirations and wildlife needs while addressing climate change, extreme weather events, forest fires, water stress, habitat fragmentation and invasive species.
Calling for a landscape approach integrating forests, wildlife, agriculture, water, livelihoods and human settlements, Yadav said conservation could not be viewed solely as a government responsibility.
The Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to 1976-batch Karnataka cadre IFS officer Brij Kishore Singh for his decades-long contribution to forest and wildlife conservation, including efforts against sandalwood smuggling and the activities of brigand Veerappan.
The Eco Warrior Awards recognised contributions under categories including Protected Area Management, Wildlife Protection and Conservation, Environment Conservation, Community Connect, Best Use of Technology and Special Jury Award.
The Environment Conservation category also recognised Uttarakhand forest officer Dharm Singh Meena for scientific water conservation and restoration of springs and streams.
The conclave featured discussions on artificial intelligence and technology for conservation, corporate participation in forest management, and sustainable development and environmental ethics.
4th Eco Warrior Awards 2026
Lifetime Achievement Award
- Brij Kishore Singh – 1976-batch IFS officer, Karnataka cadre
Protected Area Management
- Dr. Prakash Chand Gogineni – Conservator of Forests and In-charge Field Director, Similipal Tiger Reserve, Odisha
- Manish Singh – DFO, Pilibhit Tiger Reserve, Uttar Pradesh
Wildlife Protection and Conservation
- Selvi S. Senbagapriya – DCF (Genetics), Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu
- Dr. Sanjeev Sharma – DCF, Palampur Forest Division, Himachal Pradesh
Environment Conservation
- Dharm Singh Meena – Conservator of Forests, Bhagirathi Circle, Uttarakhand
- Suman Shivashankar Sivachar W.M. – DFO, Wokha, Nagaland
Community Connect
- Dhawan Kumar Rawat – DFO, Pakke Tiger Reserve, Arunachal Pradesh
- Gurharsh Singh – DCF, Rampur, Himachal Pradesh
Best Use of Technology
- N. Jayaraj – Wildlife Warden, Hosur, Tamil Nadu
- Ramsundar M. – Director, Rajgir Zoo Safari, Bihar
Special Jury Award
- Savita Dahiya – DCF, Barmer, Rajasthan
- K. Karthikeyani – DFO, Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu
Special Projects Recognition
- Project Elephant
- Great Indian Bustard conservation project in Rajasthan
