DHAKA, March 23: Chunuti,  a Bangladeshi non-government forest conservation co-management committee at Cox's Bazar, has been nominated for United Nations Equator Award for its outstanding contribution to protecting forests and biodiversity through enhancing income and livelihood of people, said a handout.

   USAID Bangladesh Mission director Richard Greene today made the announcement at the Forest Co-Management Congress.

   Department of Forests under the Ministry of Environment and Forests organised the congress on Bashundhara campus of Independent University of Bangladesh (IUB).

   Richard Greene said more than 800 forest management committees have applied for the award, but the UN authorities nominated only 25 committees for the award.

   He said the award will be handed over at Rio 20+ Conference to be held in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) in June.

   Environment and Forests Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud congratulated members of Chunuti Forest Conservation Co-
Management Committee (CFCCMC) and local people for being nominated for the UN Equator Award.

   "Chunuti has built capacity and raised profile of local efforts to reduce poverty through conservation and sustainable
use of biodiversity," Hasan Mahmud said.

Environment and Forests Secretary Mesbah Ul Alam said members of the committee planted various types of trees in the area and protected it for expansion of forest.

 The initiative has also been increased their income, he said.

 Country Director of International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to Bangladesh Ishtiaq Uddin Ahmed said the CFCCMC has been nominated for its outstanding activities like expansion of forest which was decaying once upon a time.

 “The organization has successfully brought back biodiversity conservation,” he said.