Jakarta (VNA) – The 2022ASEAN Biodiversity Heroes Awards have been presented to nine individuals whoseefforts and advocacies created impact in their respective countries.

Launched in2017, the ASEAN Biodiversity Heroes is a flagship programme of the ASEAN toshowcase the impactful actions of environmental champions to inspire morepeople to stand up for biodiversity.

This year’s awardees are Liaw Lin Ji, Founder, Biodiversity and NaturalHistory Society (BruWILD) and Head of Environmental Solutions and BruneiCountry Manager, DHI Water & Environment; Chak Sokhavicheaboth, Deputy Director of Biodiversity Department, Ministryof Environment, Cambodia; Dr Anhar Lubis, Coordinator, Leuser Wildlife Rescue Team and Veterinarian, LeuserConservation Forum, Indonesia; Khamphay Xayyalad, Manager, The National Eld’s Deer Sanctuary Areas,Laos; Prof IbrahimBin Komoo, ProfessorEmeritus, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia; Nay Win Swe, Forester, InlayLake Wildlife Sanctuary, Myanmar; Senator Loren Legarda, Senate President Pro-Tempore, ThePhilippines; Prof Chou Loke Ming, Emeritus Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, NationalUniversity of Singapore; and Prof Suchana Chavanich, Professor of the ChulalongkornUniversity, Thailand.

The ASEAN Biodiversity Heroes were selected based on the relevance of theircontributions to biodiversity conservation, the impact of these contributionsto biodiversity conservation efforts in their respective countries and theregion, the replicability of their actions, and the recognition they receivedin communities where they belong.

Each awardeereceived a Heroes’ fund worth 5,000 EUR (5,009 USD), an ASEAN trophy and a certificate.

An awarding ceremony, which took place recently in Bogor, Indonesia, was one ofthe highlights of the 7th ASEAN Heritage Parks Conference organised by theASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) and Indonesia’s Ministry of Environment andForestry-Directorate of Biodiversity Conservation of Species and Genetics.

Since itsinception, the ASEAN Biodiversity Heroes programme has been supported by theEuropean Union through the Biodiversity Conservation and Management ofProtected Areas in ASEAN project. This year, the ASEAN also partnered withMetro Pacific Investments Corporation (MPIC)./.