Paris, Nov 18 (IANS): Bengaluru-based environment think-tank Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) will be awarded the 2019 UNESCO Sultan Qaboos Prize for environmental conservation.

According to a statement released by the UNESCO on Monday, the award is being given in recognition of ATREE's socially-just environment conservation and sustainable development activities in Sikkim and Darjeeling regions.

The prize also recognises its contributions towards the discovery of new species in the Western Ghats, outreach to raise awareness about India's biodiversity and training environmental leaders.

ATREE contributes to the conservation of diverse environments throughout India, including the Eastern Himalayas, the UNESCO Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve and the Western Ghats world heritage site, Vembanad lake, Kaziranga and Manas National Parks, the grasslands of Kutch, the wetlands of Tamil Nadu and Kerala, and the urban landscapes of Karnataka, UNESCO said.

The prize consists of $100,000, a diploma and a medal. The award ceremony will be held in Budapest, Hungary, on November 20 during the upcoming World Science Forum.