India Biodiversity Awards

India is one of the mega-diverse countries in the world and home to nearly eight percent of the world’s total recorded species of plants and animals. Across the country, people, communities and governments have played an outstanding and innovative role in conserving India’s rich heritage.

Government of India, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in association with UNDP India, therefore, started the India Biodiversity Awards in 2012, to recognise excellence in biodiversity governance across the country.

The first round of Awards was launched in 2012 during India’s Presidency of the Eleventh Meeting of Conference of Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity. The award selection process is conducted in partnership with the National Biodiversity Authority of India.

Categories of awards

1. Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biological Resources - The award aims to recognize the effort of individuals /institutions/ corporate (both public and private) involved in effective management and conservation of the biological resources in an equitable and sustainable manner.
2. Incentivizing Access and Benefit Sharing - The award aims at recognising body corporate practicing complete cycle of Access and Benefit Sharing process (ABS); projects augmenting noteworthy monetary and/or non-monetary equitable sharing of benefits out of the utilization of biological resources with communities and stakeholders concerned.
3. Best Biodiversity management committee - The award aims to recognise the exemplary work of Biodiversity Management Committees in documentation of biological resources and associated traditional knowledge through People’s Biodiversity Registers (PBRs); generating awareness; establishing best practices in biodiversity conservation, sustainable use, social and gender equity; empowerment and equitable sharing of benefits with the conservers of the resource.
4. Best Peoples’ Biodiversity Register - The award aims to recognise the range of traditional as well as innovative methods including the use of digital technology in documenting Peoples’ Biodiversity Registers and realizing the Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) potential.

Winner in each category will be awarded with a cash prize of Rs. 5 Lakh and two Certificates of appreciation will be given in each category with a cash prize of Rs 1 Lakh each.

Screening and selection process

An application template, available online, will have to be filled by applicants/facilitators, entailing relevant information. These applications will be scrutinized by the Jury and 12 best applications under each of the four categories will be long-listed on the basis of the evaluation criteria and the supporting documents (if any).

Validation and Selection Process

Based on the review of applications, field validation and interaction with the applicants, the constituted Jury would select the awardees in different categories. In case of a ‘tie’, joint awardees may be declared and the awards amounts will be shared.

Source : National Biodiversity Board

Awardees

India Biodiversity Awards 2021

• Krishi Avam Paristhitiki Vikas Sansthan (KRAPAVIS) - Awarded under the category ‘Sustainable Use of Biological Resources.’
• Shaji N.M., also called as ‘Tuber Man’ of Kerala - Awarded under the individual category of ‘Conservation of domesticated species.
• Ramanathapuram Forest Range Officer S Sathish - Sustainable Use of Biological Resources Category Award for his work in Kaarakadu Community based Eco-tourism near Ramanathapuram.
• Valmiki Tiger Reserve, West Champaran district of Bihar - Conservation of WildLife Species Category 
• Khonoma Nature Conservation & Tragopan Sanctuary (KNCTS), Nagaland - Awarded under ‘Sustainable Use of Biological Resources’ category.
• Shergaon Biodiversity Management Committee (BMC), West Kameng district, Arunachal Pradesh - Best Biodiversity Management Committee Category
• Officer Shiv Kumar, Lahaul and Spiti region - Conservation of Wild Species Category
• Amrabad Poda Lakmi Govu Sangam, Telangana - Conservation of Domesticated Species (Institute)
• Chongna Foundation, Manipur - Conservation of Wild Species (Institute)
• Twichin Gram Bari BMC, Tripura and Valagro Bioscience Ltd, Telangana - Replicable Mechanisms for Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) category. 

India Biodiversity Awards 2018

India Biodiversity Awards 2016

1. Category: Conservation of Threatened Species
• Winner - Ms Purnima Devi Barman and the Hargilla Army - The Greater Adjutant bird, is found only in two areas in India and Cambodia. Purnima Devi Barman and the women’s Hargilla army protect this endangered species increasing nests three-fold in six years.
• Winner - Nature Conservation Foundation and the Ghora-Abhe Society - The group introduced the Hornbill Nest Adoption Programme in Pakke Tiger Reserve, Arunachal Pradesh, which has managed to protect 62 active hornbill nests and help 60 hornbill pairs breed successfully.
• Runner up - Dr. Sossama Iype - Professor at the Kerala Agricultural University, saved the Vechur cattle from the brink of extinction through an ex-situ breeding programme and distribution to farmers allowing for its in-situ conservation
2. Category: Sustainable Use of Biological Resources
• Winner - Mawkyrnot Self Help Group: The Living Root Bridges - The 52-feet long living roots bridges in Mawkyrnot, are a marvel of bio-engineering, are resilient and enhance ecosystem services
• Runner up - Participatory Learning Action Network and Training (PLANT) - An ecological intervention to conserve the coastal ecosystem in Tamil Nadu, PLANT is creating artificial reefs to counter the effects of prolonged mechanized trawling operation improving quality and quantity of fish
3. Category: Successful Mechanisms/ Models for Access and Benefit Sharing
• Winner - Gram Mooligai Co. Ltd., Madhya Pradesh - involves local communities in developing medicinal plant products and markets, aimed at sustainable use and equity
• Runner-up - Indian Institute of Oilseeds Research - Developing eco-friendly and non-toxic bio-pesticides that only attacks its target insect, pest or disease without harming any other biological specie. These bio-pesticides are also available at an affordable price
4. Category: Biodiversity Management Committees
• Winner - Dudhai Biodiversity Management Committee - The Dudhai Biodiversity Management Committee in Uttarakhand has banned illegal sand mining and revived river ecosystems
• Runner up - Biodiversity Management Committee Niitii Hong - Conserving and reviving the ecosystem of Ziro Valley in Arunachal Pradesh by combating rampant felling of trees, checking over consumption of forest produce by tribes and villagers, reducing soil erosion and water contamination due to dumping of waste by local communities

India Biodiversity Awards 2014

Winners are

• Van Suraksha Samiti Baripada, Maharashtra (Winner; Community Stewardship)
• Gram Sabha Payvihir, Maharashtra (Winner, Decentralized Governance)
• Joint Forest Management Committee, Old Jalukie Village, Nagaland (Winner, Co-management)
• Kanha Tiger Reserve, Madhya Pradesh (Winner; Protected Area)

Runners up are:

• Mangalajodi Ecotourism Trust, Odisha (community stewardship)
• Whale Shark conservation efforts at Junagadh, Gujarat (co-management)
• Satpura Tiger Reserve, Madhya Pradesh (Protected area)

India Biodiversity Awards 2012

The winners are

• Pir Jahania Jungle Suraksha Samiti from Odisha in the community stewardship category;
• Shankarpur Village Gram Panchayat from Maharashtra in the category of decentralized management;
• Van Utthan Sansthan from Rajasthan in the category of co-management;
• Periyar Tiger Reserve in the Protected areas category.

Source : UNDP