Dr. Purnima Devi Barman

Wildlife Service Awards 2024

Dr. Purnima Devi Barman
Wildlife biologist, Hargila warrior, community empowerer

Dr. Purnima Devi Barman, a wildlife biologist from Assam, is addressing a deep injustice in the world of conservation – overlooking non-charismatic species that face the same, if not greater, threats than charismatic animals. Her work to protect the Greater Adjutant Stork, locally known as the hargila, is testament to this effort.

A recipient of the Whitley Gold Award (often called the “Green Oscar”) and the Nari Shakti Puraskar, India’s highest civilian award for women, Purnima is the founder of the Hargila Army, an all-female initiative dedicated to saving this critically endangered species. The Greater Adjutant Stork, once abundant across India and Southeast Asia, had seen its numbers plummet to under 1,000 by the 1990s. Its decline continues to be driven by habitat loss, destruction of nesting sites, and a societal perception of the bird as an “ugly” pest, leading to further threats to its survival.

Purnima’s journey with the hargila began in 2007 when she chose it as the focus of her Ph.D. research in Kamrup district, Assam. During her studies, she discovered that the storks were abandoning their traditional wetlands for treetop nests near villages – only to find that these nesting trees were frequently cut down. Purnima responded by launching a community-based conservation initiative, involving local women who were determined to shift perceptions and to highlight the endangered bird’s ecological importance in maintaining environmental health.

Her work has been transformative. What began with 28 nests counted in 2007 has now grown to over 200. Through creative solutions such as the construction of artificial bamboo nesting platforms and the incorporation of  the storks’ image into traditional handloom products, Purnima’s team has managed to successfully rally over 20,000 women in conservation efforts. Of course, the proceeds of the handcrafted items sold, go back to the community.

A wildlife biologist at Aaranyak, a wildlife NGO, Purnima also serves as the Director of Species Restoration at the Netherlands-based Rewilding Academy, where she focuses on community climate  education. Additionally, she heads India’s Women in Nature Network (WiNN) chapter, empowering women in conservation. Significantly, bringing the Greater Adjutant Stork back from the brink has been driven by community involvement and has demonstrated for India and the world just how powerful determined women can be for national and global biodiversity conservation efforts.

Purnima started out alone, but quickly drew public support and admiration for her mission, which exemplifies how one determined individual can change public perceptions and create lasting change. Through her leadership and the collective strength of the Hargila Army, she has helped bring a species back from the edge of extinction. And in doing so demonstrated the importance of staunching the decline of all species, without which global scientific consensus confirms that neither our biodiversity, nor climate crisis have much hope of solution in the difficult years ahead.

For being the lighthouse that sows seeds of hope and motivates communities to protect their natural heritage, and for giving the threatened Greater Adjutant Stork a more secure future in Assam, Sanctuary honours Dr. Purnima Devi Barman.