Joint release with Minister for Jobs and Innovation Michaelia Cash
Australian researcher, Professor Brian Walker, has been internationally recognised for his scientific research.
Professor Walker, from the CSIRO and Australian National University, today received the 2018 Blue Planet Prize, an international environmental award sponsored by Japan’s Asahi Glass foundation.
He is only the second Australian in the award’s history to claim the prize, which recognises outstanding achievements in scientific research and its application in solving global environmental problems.
The award recognises Professor Walker’s achievements as a pioneer of ‘resilience science’ in social-ecological systems. He is a world-renowned ecologist who has published more than 160 scientific papers and contributed to a number of books.
A total of 1290 nominations for the prize from around the world were received and 130 candidates were recommended from 34 countries.
Congratulating Professor Walker on the award, Minister for Jobs and Innovation, Michaelia Cash said it is pleasing to see Australian researchers gaining the global recognition they deserve.
“Australia has elite researchers working at the cutting-edge of their respective fields. This is another example of their work being recognised,” Minister Cash said.
“Professor Walker’s work is ground-breaking and he deserves this significant accolade.”
Minister for Education and Training, Simon Birmingham congratulated Professor Walker on his outstanding contribution to environmental science.
“We should all be incredibly proud of Professor Walker. His work on resilience science has improved our understanding of everything from environmental conservation to economics and disaster prevention,” Minister Birmingham said.
“His achievements in environmental science continue to shape the world we live in and should not be underestimated.”