December 15, 2011
Congratulations to Prigi Arisandi (2011) who won this year’s SBS Ecowater Award for his efforts to secure better water resource management and protection in Indonesia.
There are five categories for the award, established in 2008 by the major South Korean television network SBS: citizen actions; society and culture; research and education; policy and environmental business administration; and international accomplishments. Arisandi won in the latter category, which is also known as the Gaia Prize, and with it a monetary award of $20,000.
The award has previously recognized Chinese environmental activist Yin Yuzhen, who developed sustainable agriculture and gardening in the deserts of northern China, and the Onon-Ulz River Movement in Mongolia for its work to fight mining companies polluting the river.
The award is co-sponsored by the Korea Federation for Environmental Movements (KFEM), an organization founded by Yul Choi, who won the Goldman Environmental Prize for Asia in 1995. KEFM is one of the oldest and largest environmental NGOs in South Korea, and has led several campaigns to improve water resources management and protect rivers and wetlands in the country.