Oral Ataniyazova
An obstetrician, Oral Ataniyazova fought the damage to public health caused by the shrinking of the Aral Sea, which has led to increased salinity and concentrated pollutants, huge dust storms and changes in the regional weather.
Hirofumi Yamashita
For 25 years, Hirofumi Yamashita fought a reclamation project in Isahaya Bay, one of the world’s richest wetlands, forcing the government to scale back the massive dike and reassess the reclamation’s environmental costs.
Ka Hsaw Wa
Ka Hsaw Wa fled Rangoon after being tortured for opposing a brutal military government and documented thousands of criminal and human rights abuses by the government related to construction of the Yadana petroleum pipeline.
Loir Botor Dingit
Paramount Chief of the Bentian Tribal Council in East Kalimantan, Loir Botor Dingit led rattan farmers in sustainable forest management, a campaign that generated national attention and won government support for forest dwellers’ rights.
M.C. Mehta
M.C. Mehta single-handedly won numerous landmark judgments from India’s Supreme Court since 1984, including introducing lead-free gasoline to India and reducing the industrial pollution fouling the Ganges and eroding the Taj Mahal.
Yul Choi
Leader of the Korean Federation for Environmental Movement, Yul Choi popularized environmental issues and mobilized a strong anti-nuclear movement amidst powerful development pressure and at considerable personal risk.
Dai Qing
Daughter of a revolutionary martyr, former missile technician and one-time intelligence agent, Dai Qing is a fearless journalist who has been outspoken in her opposition to the Chinese government’s plans for the Three Gorges Dam.
Medha Patkar
Medha Patkar mobilized massive marches and peaceful protests against the construction of India’s Sardar Sarovar Dam, which displaced thousands of tribal peoples and submerged vast stretches of forests and farmland.
Yoichi Kuroda
Yoichi Kuroda coordinated Japan Tropical Action Network’s campaign to publicly expose and reform Japan’s role in tropical deforestation.
Harrison Ngau Laing
A Kayan tribe member and organizer in the indigenous people’s fight to save the Sarawak rainforests, he used his prize money to finance an election campaign that won him a seat in Malaysia’s parliament.