The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) has honoured three exceptional leaders and their initiatives with the Dr Andreas Schild Memorial Mountain Prize, recognising their innovation, impact, and dedication to the mountain cause.
This annual award commemorates the legacy of former ICIMOD Director General Dr Andreas Schild, a tireless champion for the world’s mountains and the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region.
His commitment continues to inspire those whose lives he touched during his long and distinguished career.
The winners were selected by a fair and rigorous jury representing ICIMOD’s seven regional member countries, ensuring a transparent and inclusive selection process, officials said.
Their groundbreaking initiatives are helping shape a more resilient, sustainable, and equitable future for the people and ecosystems of the Hindu Kush Himalaya.
ICIMOD Director General Pema Gyamtsho presented the prizes at a ceremony held on Wednesday evening.
Vice-Chancellor of Kathmandu University Prof Achyut Wagle, Programme Advisory Committee Chair Teresa Fogelberg, former ICIMOD DDG Dr Eklabya Sharma, and diplomats based in Kathmandu were also present.
Bhutan’s glaciologist and Head of the Cryosphere Services Division at the National Centre for Hydrology and Meteorology (NCHM), Karma Toeb, was honoured for his pioneering work in reducing the risk of glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs).
His leadership in the siphoning of Thorthormi Lake—one of Bhutan’s most dangerous glacial lakes—has significantly reduced the threat to downstream communities and critical infrastructure.
Geley Norbu, Director General of the National Land Commission Secretariat, received the award for his leadership in advancing Bhutan’s rangeland reforms.
His initiatives—particularly in digital mapping, securing land rights for marginalised herders, and building climate-resilient rangeland systems—have been recognised as transformative for highland communities.
Xinquan Zhao, a conservation leader from China, was also awarded for exemplary work in rangeland reform, contributing to improved land stewardship and resilience in the region’s fragile mountain ecosystems.
This recognition celebrates Zhao’s outstanding initiative, “Transformative changes in pastoralism: Solutions for promoting grassland restoration and livelihood improvement in the Sanjiangyuan region,” which stands as a model of systemic, transformative innovation in alpine sustainability.
In 2022, the Mountain Prize was renamed the Dr Andreas Schild Memorial Mountain Prize in honour of the former ICIMOD Director General, a champion of the mountains of the world and the HKH region, whose lasting impact continues to be felt across the region.