New Delhi, Aug 24 (IANS): The Manipur-based Institute of Bioresources and Sustainable Development (IBSD), a national institute under the central government's Department of Biotechnology, has been awarded the Global Sustainability Award at the Seventh World Renewable Energy Technology Congress (WRETC) here.

“Dinabandhu Sahoo, Director of the northeast-based national institute, received the award on behalf of IBSD in a glittering function during the Seventh World Renewable Energy Technology Congress held at the Manekshaw Expo and Convention Centre New Delhi from August 21 to 23,” the institute said in a statement issued on Wednesday.

“The award was given to IBSD for its pioneering work in the northeast Himalayas in the field of sustainability management,” it stated.

For the last one-and-half years, IBSD has been taking proactive steps in sustainable utilisation of Himalayan bioresources for the socioeconomic development of the region.

In recent times, it organised several unique programmes for the local stakeholders in the field of entrepreneurship development in bamboo, fisheries resources as well as organic farming.

According to Sahoo, these programmes are very useful for natural resources management and creation of new jobs for the unemployed people.

Northeastern India is one of the 12 mega biodiversity rich zones of the world under the Indo-Burma Hotspot that ranks eighth among the 25 biodiversity hotspots of the world.

Realising the importance of the rich biodiversity and the unique bioresources of the region, Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology, established the IBSD at Imphal, Manipur, in 2001.

Among other winners at the WRETC are ONGC, Mahindra Rise, Reliance Power and ALTER NRG,Canada.