Rinzin Phunjok Lama, founder of the Upper Karnali Landscape Initiative (UKALI) and a dedicated Conservation Biologist at Third Pole Conservancy, has been selected as one of the esteemed winners of the Future For Nature Award 2024 for his outstanding efforts in safeguarding snow leopards in Nepal’s remote mountains. Rinzin’s innovative community-led program empowers local communities, mitigates human-wildlife conflicts, and strengthens cultural connections with nature.
The Future For Nature Awards ceremony, scheduled for Friday, April 19th, 2024, will honor these exceptional individuals including Rinzin with a prestigious nature conservation prize of 50,000 euros each. The event will feature distinguished restoration ecologist and filmmaker, John D. Liu, as the guest of honor.
A native of the Nyinba indigenous community of Nepal’s Humla district, Rinzin is deeply committed to protecting the delicate balance between humans and snow leopards. Inspired by his first encounter with wild snow leopards in 2007, Rinzin founded UKALI to enhance community-led biodiversity conservation in his native region. UKALI has established youth-led conservation groups and school-level eco clubs, organizing multiple conservation activities across rural municipalities in Humla.
Rinzin’s vision, “leading by locals,” aims to create impactful community-led conservation programs that preserve the rich biodiversity of the Humla and greater trans-Himalayan region. With the Future For Nature Award prize money, Rinzin plans to strengthen his conservation efforts and focus on grassroots conservation mobilization and leadership development.
Three remarkable young leaders in nature conservation have been announced as the winners of the prestigious 2024 Future For Nature Award. Selected from a competitive pool of over two hundred and fifty international candidates, Callie Veelenturf, Rinzin Lama, and Hana Weaver have been recognized for their unwavering dedication, persistence, and impactful initiatives in the field of conservation.
For more information on Rinzin Phunjok Lama’s work and Third Pole Conservancy, please visit www.thirdpoleconservancy.org or www.ukali.org or contact Rinzin at +977 9851126469.
UKALI is a community-driven model, focusing on the Upper Karnali Landscape as a learning ground and field campus. Guided by the philosophy of “Leading by Locals,” the initiative ensures that conservation efforts are community-led and grounded in the cultural heritage and values of the landscapes it serves. With the broader vision of developing a replicable approach for other mountain regions in Nepal and beyond, UKALI strengthens local institutions, nurtures conservation leaders, and enhances the capacity of communities to actively participate in and benefit from conservation initiatives.
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