Indonesian wins environment “Nobel Prize”

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Mon, 04/20/2009 7:02 PM  |  National

Indonesian environmental activist Yuyun Ismawati became one of six environmentalists who received the Goldman Environmental Prize, a prestigious award often referred to as the “Nobel Prize” of environmental activism.

Besides Yuyun, environmentalists who received the award include Marc Onna Esangui from Gabon, Rizwana Hasan from Bangladesh, Olga Speranskaya from Russia, Maria Gunnoe from the US and Wanze Eduards and Hugo Jabini from Suriname.

The award includes a US$150,000 prize for each winner.

Yuyun, who won the award for her efforts to provide job opportunities for low-income people by making use of trash, said Sunday she had not expected to receive the award, saying she had done all environmental activities based on her initiatives, kompas.com reported.

Along with other local activists, she formed an NGO called Indonesia Toxic-Free Network, which aims to criticize the government's slow steps in tackling issues on toxic waste products. (ewd)

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