Green Inspiration is a series of articles developed by Local.mx to showcase the most relevant environmental projects. In collaboration with Rolex's Perpetual Planet initiative, our goal is to raise awareness, inspire new generations and encourage all good ideas that improve life on Mother Earth. Rolex is supporting inspiring organizations and individuals on a mission to make the planet perpetual. #PerpetualPlanet. For more information visit rolex.org.
When biologist and conservationist Rinzin Phunjok Lama, one of the five 2021 Rolex Laureates, first saw the legendary snow leopard, he knew he had to do everything in his power to protect it and, to that end, preserve the mountain environment it inhabits.
Rinzin Phunjok Lama works to protect the wide diversity of Nepal's Trans-Himalayan ecosystems. Photo: ©Tashi R. Ghale
Originally from Humla, a district in northwestern Nepal, Lama knows the challenges that condition life in the region: it is an icy and remote setting, with vast and mountainous landscapes that are almost unimaginable. The life of the communities is a daily struggle with the elements and also with the resilient endemic fauna, one of the most diverse in the country. In addition to the snow leopard, the mountains are populated by Tibetan bears, argali - large goats -, kiangs - similarto donkeys -, a species of deer known as mosquito, as well as wild yaks and Himalayan wolves, among many other fascinating creatures that, in this scenario that reaches altitudes of up to 5,000 meters above sea level, are in different states of conservation and, in many cases, face the danger of extinction.
Lama is part of a generation that had to take the lead in preserving the biodiversity of the Trans-Himalayan after a tragic accident in 2006 that claimed the lives of 23 of the region's environmental leaders. That is perhaps why he knows that environmental conservation cannot be the responsibility of a handful of individuals, but must become a collective responsibility.
Working with local communities is critical to protecting the iconic mammals that inhabit the Transhimalaya. Photo: ©Tashi R. Ghale
Inspired by Buddhist philosophy, it bases its work on compassion and the precept that humans can coexist in balance with nature. His focus is on involving mountain people so that, through community management, they are in charge of preserving their environment and achieving large-scale results. Working with youth clubs, village councils and women's groups, it promotes local leadership and business generation, ranging from the production of traditional clothing or herbal preparations to ecotourism and hiking services. As a result, people can take control of land management and work autonomously for the benefit of all those - humans and animals - who live there: "We have to appreciate the effort of the communities, their values, their traditions," says Lama, "and make them take control of the initiative.
Together with his team, Rinzin Phunjok Lama conducts field studies and uses photo-trapping to inventory specimens of various endangered species and monitor their conservation status. This, together with the work with communities and the dissemination of information about the laws that regulate hunting, logging and forest fire management, makes the project an inclusive strategy in which everyone involved benefits from working towards a common goal.
Green Inspiration is a series of articles that fills us with excitement. Throughout the year, we will showcase the most relevant environmental projects that have been carried out around the globe under Rolex's Perpetual Planet initiative, and we will also tell the local stories of those facing enormous environmental challenges.
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