In Assam, ecologist and conservation activist Dr Bibhuti Lahkar has become the first Asian to be nominated for the prestigious 'Heritage Heroes Award' by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).<br/><br/>Lahkar is among five conservationists from across the globe to be nominated for this year's Heritage Heroes Award which is aimed at recognising the outstanding efforts of conservationists around the world in making a difference in the conservation of World Heritage sites in challenging situations, an IUCN release said.<br/><br/>Dr Bibhuti Lahkar has been working to save the grasslands, flora and fauna of Manas National Park area for the past two decades and is currently engaged as Manas Landscape Administrator for Aaranyak, an NGO working for biodiversity conservation in North East India.<br/><br/>The recipient for the award will be selected through online voting through the website www.iucn.org, which began on August 25 and will continue till August 31.