The 7th Balipara Foundation Social Recognition Awards held at India recently, celebrated 14 winners across seven states and four countries including a Bangladeshi professor.

The award function took place at Hotel Palacio, Guwahati, Assam following a two-days long Eastern Himalayan Naturenomics Forum 2019.

Dr Zabed Hossain, professor at the Department of Botany at University of Dhaka was awarded the "Green Guru Award" for his remarkable achievement in the field of Botany, reads a press release issued in this regard.

His area of research is a combination of plant and molecular ecology and environmental biology. He also actively researches on plant-microbe interactions, abiotic stresses on plants and adaption mechanisms in plants.

The Balipara Social Recognition Awards introduced by the Balipara Foundation in 2013, stands as a platform to reward and encourage the efforts of grassroots conservationist and social entrepreneurs working tirelessly towards preserving the rich biodiversity of the Eastern Himalayas.

Dr Zabed has been a true leader in allowing the society at large to understand the varying dynamics of theory and ground realities to touch base at the same time. Because of academicians like Dr Zabed, it has been possible for onsite workers and implementational policies to be able to execute and envision a healthy ecology, read the press release. Karuna Singh, the Country Director of Earth Day Network presented him with the award.

Hasina Kharbhih of Meghalaya won the Social Recognition Award for Social Activism, for starting Impulse network in order to help local women apply their skills to develop a sustainable livelihood. Kürütsechu Self Help Group from Nagaland won the Naturenomics Award, for their initiative to restore and revive a heritage practice-cotton cultivation, and in the process, propel communities towards a sustainable rural future. Tanzema Elephant Friendly Village at Bhutan, received the Special Recognition Award for resolving man-animal conflict and successfully restoring elephant habitat.

Sagar Mehta, the President of the Koomtai Tea Estate, Assam, won the prestigious Lifetime Service Award for his relentless effort, for over 65 years, towards revolutionizing community conservation and mobilizing masses to implement afforestation drive and restore water bodies.

Balipara Foundation has been working extensively towards building a Rural Futures and towards this has launched the first Rural Futures publication, Rural Futures: 21st Century Transformation for the Naturenomics Future.

Balipara Foundation, through the 7th Social Recognition Awards, salutes all Naturenomics stewards and earth heroes in the Eastern Himalayas.