Kathmandu — On the eve of International Mountain Day, observed on December 10, the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) announced the recipients of the Dr Andreas Schild Memorial Mountain Prize 2025, recognising three individuals from Bhutan and China for their contributions to safeguarding the Himalayan region.
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 the country’s most dangerous glacial lakes—has significantly lowered the threat to downstream communities and critical infrastructure.
The Director General of the National Land Commission Secretariat, Geley Norbu, 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.
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.
The annual prize commemorates the legacy of the late Dr Andreas Schild, ICIMOD’s former Director General, whose lifelong dedication to the mountains and the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) continues to inspire mountain communities and practitioners. Established in 2018 as the ICIMOD Mountain Prize and renamed in 2022 in his honour, the award is presented each year on International Mountain Day to celebrate outstanding efforts in sustainable mountain development.
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