Madhav Gadgil (1942-2026): A pioneering Indian ecologist's legacy of biodiversity conservation and human coexistence.

Kunte, Krushnamegh; Ghate, Utkarsh; Subramanian, K A · Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A · 2026

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Abstract

Madhav Gadgil was an evolutionary ecologist and champion of governmental and intergovernmental policies for biodiversity conservation, human coexistence with nature, and indigenous rights to land, natural resources, and self-governance. He made foundational contributions to the development of biodiversity sciences, human ecology, people's traditional knowledge-and inherent rights to that knowledge as documented through biodiversity registers. Gadgil advocated a coherent policy integrating human welfare and biodiversity conservation in India. He will be remembered as an academic giant and an unmatched thinker, policy advocate, institution-builder, and humanitarian.