The Government of India in collaboration with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) announced the first-ever Biodiversity Award 2012 in Hyderabad on October 17, 2012. The winners of the awards were: Pir Jahania Jungle Suraksha Samiti from Odisha, Shankarpur Village Gram Panchayat from Maharashtra, Van Utthan Sansthan from Rajasthan and Periyar
Tiger Reserve in the protected areas category.