Tribal Communities of the Jeypore tract won the Equator Initiative Award at the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg on 30 August 2002 towards the conservation of biodiversity and reduction of poverty in the Equatorial Belt. Following the Equator Initiative Award, Panchabati Grama Unnayan Samiti (PGUS), an association was formed in 2002 with the objective of conservation, sustainable use and equitable sharing of benefits arising out of biodiversity, harnessing science and technologies. Representatives from 17 villages in Koraput region constitute the executive body of the PGUS. The PGUS is also the custodian of the Equator Initiative Award amount being maintained in trust as a fund for community development. PGUS was selected for the Genome Saviour Award of the Protection of Plant Variety and Farmers Rights Authority (PPV&FR) of the Govt. of India in February 2007.