Posted on October, 28 2008

London: The 2008 WWF Duke of Edinburgh Conservation medal has been awarded to former Brazilian Environment Minister Her Excellency Senator Marina Silva.

Senator Silva, who was born into a rubber tapping family and became a noted advocate for the Amazon and its peoples alongside the late murdered campaigner Chico Mendes, served as the Brazilian Environment Minister from 2003 to May 2008.

“With this award we recognize Senator Silva’s lifelong commitment to the Amazon and, in particular, her extraordinary contributions to conservation of the Amazon as Minister of the Environment,” said James Leape, Director General of WWF International.

“As Minister, Senator Silva championed the Amazon Region Protected Areas Programme (ARPA), developed with WWF and other partners, which is the most ambitious forest conservation effort ever undertaken.

“To date, ARPA has already secured protection of more than 32 million hectares, an area roughly the size of Norway, and ultimately aims to protect 60 million hectares.

“Senator Silva also led a comprehensive reform of Brazil’s forest laws, strengthened Brazil’s environment institutions and built up a framework of incentives and disincentives that contributed to a nearly 60 per cent drop in deforestation during her tenure in office.”

His Royal Highness Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, presented Senator Silva with the award in a ceremony in London’s St James Palace today.

“I don’t think we should envisage environment and development on opposite sides,” said Senator Silva in a recent interview with WWF-Brazil. “I believe this century’s greatest challenge is to achieve protection with development and development with the protection of the natural resources.”

Previous recipients of the medal, since 1970 the most prestigious international conservation award, include British biodiversity expert Dr Norman Myers and outspoken NASA climate scientist James Hansen