[en] This special issue of Radiation Protection Dosimetry constitutes the proceedings of the 'First National Conference on Radiation Awareness and Detection in Natural Environment' (RADNET-1), organised by the Departments of Physics and Chemistry, HNB Garhwal University, Badshahi Thaul Campus, Tehri Garhwal and Govt. P.G. College, New Tehri, Tehri Garhwal, held at HNB Garhwal University, Badshahi Thaul Campus, Tehri Garhwal, India, during June 15-17, 2015. This national conference attracted 121 participants both from India and abroad. A series of invited lectures were delivered from the dignitaries from India and abroad. There were 17 invited talks, 24 oral and 52 poster presentations on Natural Sources of Radiation and Detection Methodologies. The aim of the conference was to bring together the researchers from all over the country, to share the knowledge on radiation awareness and detection; to identify the importance, challenges and issues in the area of natural radioactivity and its measurement techniques; and to work together to discover feasible solutions for the associated problems from various viewpoints such as improvements in measurement techniques, dosimetry, its impact on radon epidemiology and/or regulations. The conference covered all the key topics of natural radioactivity with special focus on the awareness, detection and effects of the presence of radiation in the human environment. Special attention was on new techniques, radon and thoron decay products measurements, soil radioactivity, radon in drinking water, heavy metals in river basins, high natural background radiation areas in India, building material characterisation, inhalation dosimetry, importance of thoron and its decay product measurements etc. This special issue contains 24 peer reviewed research papers selected from the body of the contributions presented at the conference. Some work-in-progress presentations are not included in the proceedings and are expected to lead to independent papers later. (authors)