Kerala has become the first State to form biodiversity management committees in all panchayats.

The committee, chaired by the panchayat president, is to ensure conservation of biodiversity and use and equitable sharing of benefits from it.
The committee has been formed in all 978 grama panchayats by October and will come into being in 60 municipalities and five city corporations in two months. With this, Kerala would become the first State to have such committees in all local self-government institutions.