Mongabay contributor Makan Sissoko wins 2026 Mali Eco-Champion Award for environmental reporting

1 Jul 2026

Makan Sissoko, a Mongabay contributor based in Mali, has been awarded the 2026 Mali Eco-Champion Award in the print media category for his environmental reporting on biodiversity, climate change, and extractive industries.

The award was presented during a ceremony held at the Higher School of Geology and Mines (ESGM) in Magnambougou. The first edition of the Mali Eco-Champion Award was organized as part of the 27th edition of Environment Fortnight, an initiative coordinated by the Journal vert du Mali (JVM-Mali) and the NGO BIO7-Mali, under the high patronage of Mali’s Minister of Environment, Sanitation and Sustainable Development, Mariam Doumbia Tangara.

According to the organizers, the Eco-Champion Award was created to recognize individuals contributing to environmental protection and sustainable development. In the print media category, the jury selected Sissoko based on the relevance of themes covered in his reporting, the quality of his journalistic output, and the consistency of his coverage.

Makan Sissoko receives 2026 Mali Eco-Champion Award for Environmental Reporting. Photo courtesy L'Essor.
Makan Sissoko receives 2026 Mali Eco-Champion Award for Environmental Reporting. Photo courtesy L’Essor.

Among the body of work considered was Sissoko’s reporting on gold mining in Mali published by Mongabay, which highlighted the ecological pressures associated with artisanal and small-scale extraction.

Sissoko said his experience contributing to Mongabay has also played a significant role in his professional development.

“Working with Mongabay has allowed me to further strengthen my writing skills, improve the quality of my reporting, and gain confidence in covering environmental issues,” Sissoko said. “This collaboration has also increased my visibility as an environmental journalist and positively impacted my career progression.”

Impact

The Mali Eco-Champion Award highlights individual excellence in environmental reporting, but also reflects the growing institutional recognition of journalism as part of ecological awareness and public education.

For Mongabay, Sissoko’s achievement reinforces the value of supporting journalists reporting in complex contexts where mining, land use change, and climate pressures intersect. 

His accolade signals how locally-grounded journalism can gain national visibility while contributing to broader accountability on conservation and natural resource issues. It also underscores the importance of consistent, field-based methods in translating environmental challenges into accessible public information.

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Banner image: Mali in 2020. Image from NASA Landsat.