RINZIN PHUNJOK LAMA

Working with local communities to protect the richly diverse ecosystems of Nepal

Inspired by the studies of 1981 Rolex Laureate wildlife biologist Rodney Jackson, scientist and environmentalist Rinzin Phunkjok Lama is a leading light in the new, much-needed, generation of conservationists determined to protect the nation’s rich biodiversity. “The Trans-Himalayan ecosystem is very fragile and the growth in human activities is a constant threat,” he says. “There is an urgent need for conservation projects which provide an integrated approach to both conservation and livelihood.” Convinced that only local commitment and knowhow can make a real difference, Lama, who works in the remote Humla District of northwestern Nepal, is enlisting local people as frontline conservators to protect dwindling populations of wild yak, Himalayan black bears, Tibetan argali, snow leopards, and other threatened or endangered animals. His project is science-based, using field surveys and camera traps to establish the baseline number of mammal species, while also supporting the development of new ecobased businesses to provide alternate sources of income for the people of Humla. With help from a core of similarly inspired young people, he engages with institutions such as village councils, youth clubs, and women’s groups to spread awareness, educate, engage, and mobilize. Lama’s Rolex Award has the potential to make him a lifelong national voice for conservation and a model for a new generation of environmentalists, filling the void left by the helicopter crash of 2006 that claimed the lives of 23 leaders of Nepalese conservation. “I want to show that, if given the opportunity, local people can lead exceptionally and are capable of managing large-scale conservation projects and community engagement, as true stewards of the land,” he says.