Bangalore, India, January, 2003 – The Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) announced today that it has been awarded more than 5.0 crore rupees from The Sehgal Family Foundation, USA (The Sehgal Foundation). ATREE is an environmental organization that focuses on protecting biodiversity hotspots in India.

“Since it’s beginning, ATREE has successfully addressed some of India's most important and persistent environmental problems using relatively few resources," said Dr. Suri Sehgal, Chairman of The Sehgal Foundation. "We want our support to be a catalyst that attracts contributions from individuals, foundations and corporations interested in ATREE’s tangible and cost-effective conservation efforts in India. I strongly believe that for rural development to be sustainable, it must address the issues of biodiversity conservation on which ATREE focuses" Dr. Sehgal added.

ATREE is devoted to the conservation of India's rich and unique biological resources. The organization conducts a wide range of activities through its research, education and outreach programs. The Western Ghats and the Eastern Himalayas, two regions extraordinarily rich in biodiversity and of special interest to ATREE, are among the UN’s (?) 25 global biodiversity “hotspots”. Hotspots are defined on the basis of their unique distribution and assemblage of plants and animals, and the severe threats those organisms face.

The Sehgal Family Foundation's award will support the establishment of a matching endowment fund for ATREE. Funds will also be used for fellowships and travel for scientists from ATREE and partner organizations. The support will also be used to strengthen and expand ecological databases using information technologies.

Dr. Kamal Bawa, Founder and President of ATREE noted that, "The Sehgal Foundation award is an affirmation of the guiding principles of ATREE. We use the best available scientific and technological know-how to design conservation efforts. Persistence and a long-term commitment to developing local and regional consensus is also crucial to our efforts. This generous grant will accelerate ATREE's work in applied research, in education, and in outreach programs."

"Dr. Sehgal’s visionary grant will help us bridge some of the gaps between knowledge and implementation in biodiversity conservation in India. Financial support of this sort helps ensure that our best ideas will flourish and that we can further garner the critical support we need to continue our work," said Gladwin Joseph, Director of ATREE.

Founded in 1991, ATREE is an environmental organization that emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches that improve communities through economic development that sustain the environment and conserve natural resources. Its four main program areas are research, policy development, education, and research. Headquartered in Bangalore, ATREE maintains offices in Delhi and Bagdogra For more information please check our web site at: http://www.atree.org

The Sehgal Family Foundation, USA, was created to support development projects, and for plant conservation and ecology works elsewhere. In India, The Sehgal Foundation supports a variety of programs designed to promote sustainable development at the village level. The Foundation’s chairman, Dr. Suri Sehgal is a distinguished international agriculturalist, and is founder and past-Chairman of the Proagro Group of Companies, India.

For further information please contact:

The Sehgal Foundation
Dr. (Ms) Ellora Mubashir;
289, Sector 17A,
Gurgaon, Haryana-122001, India