Singchung Bugun Village Community Reserve win India Biodiversity Award 2018 in “Conservation of wildlife species” category

The Singchung Bugun Community Reserve (SBVCR), an NGO from West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh, has won the India Biodiversity Award 2018 in the “Conservation of wildlife species” category for its efforts in conserving rare wildlife resources in the area. The award was conferred by the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) and presented by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change in association with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Hyderabad. The award consists of citation, a memento and a cash prize of Rs one lakh. The SBVCR was instituted under a clause of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 that enables any state government to declare a community-owned forest area as a “community reserve” if the locals are willing to participate in conservation efforts for the same. The Reserve lies right next to the Eaglesnest Wildlife sanctuary, a biodiversity hotspot, which is also home to the Bugun Liocichla — a new bird species that has no reported sighting anywhere else in the world.