The France Habe Prize, awarded since 2013 by the Karst and Cave Protection Commission of the UIS, honors outstanding contributions to the protection of karst and caves. Named for Dr. France HABE (Slovenia/Yugoslavia), President of the UIS Department of Conservation (1977–1981) and the President of Protection and Exploitation of Caves (1973–1997), the prize highlights the value of karst and caves as natural heritage and as sources of knowledge about our planet and humanity.
2025: Larent Bruxelles (France) – Gcwihaba Cave project
2024: Paul De Bie (Belgium) & Team – La Magne Souterraine – Le système Wuinant-Haminte
2023: Daniel Caron, “Spéléo Québec” (Canada) – Centre d’interprétation du monde souterrain – Caverne de Saint-Léonard
2022: La Venta (Italy) – Puerto Princesa – Palawan, Philippines
2021: Toni Pérez Fernández (Spain, GEV) – Our friends, bats – Conservation and Protection
2020: Olivier Testa, Phillip Lehman, Vincent Rouquette-Cathala – Somosloscenotes
2019: Guglielmo Ronaghi (Italy) – Light in the Dark – Cave Remeron
2017: Irawati Juniat (Indonesia) – Protection and Management of Karst Regions in Indonesia
2016: Commission Wallonne d’Étude et de Protection des Sites Souterrains (Belgium) – Atlas du Karst Wallon
2015: Ciudadanos del Carso (Puerto Rico) – Puerto Rico’s Karst Physiography
2014: Verband der Deutschen Höhlen– und Karstforscher (Germany) – Cave Animal of the Year 2014
2013: Thomas Arbenz – Cave Pearls of Meghalaya