News

Mountain award winner launches campaign

04.02.2016

Since becoming the third recipient of the UIAA Mountain Protection Award (MPA) in late 2015, the team at KTK-BELT, led by Rajeev Goyal and Priyanka Bista, has invested the Award prize money in mapping existing vegetation, wildlife habitats, hazards along with planning possibilities in the Sikti conservation area in Nepal. Furthermore, they have launched a major Kickstarter campaign to try to raise $100 000 to help fund the prototype of the 'Vertical University,' which will include design of 28 Learning Grounds, creation of a biodiversity seed bank, creation of a bird conservation zone, and training of five youth fellows to help drive long-term sustainability. To facilitate support of the KTK-BELT initiative, information can be found on their Kickstarter page. So far, they have raised about $17 000 from nearly 100 global supporters, with 20 days left to reach the goal.

Created in 2013 as a response to forest loss, habitat decrease and a drop in biodiversity, KTK-BELT is a platform for farmers, teachers, designers and environmentalists working together to build community-based biodiversity conservation strategies in the eastern region of Nepal. They are seeking to create a continuous forest corridor from Koshi Tappu (67 m), Nepal's largest aquatic bird sanctuary, to Mt Kanchenjunga (8 586 m), the third tallest peak in the world, to conserve the 6 600 species of flowering plants, 800 bird species and 180 mammal types found in eastern Nepal, which are currently under threat.

Set up in 2013 by the International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation, or UIAA, the Mountain Protection Award is a scheme that promotes innovative projects on good mountain tourism practices and rewards outstanding initiatives from mountain stakeholders (associations and tourism agencies). It supports community-based tourism that simultaneously contributes to the conservation of ecosystems and sustainable livelihoods for local people. The winning project is selected from a wide pool of diverse nominees from around the world comprising causes ranging from energy efficiency, conservation initiatives, waste management, community activities and water conservation.

Details on the application process for the 2016 MPA Award will be available shortly. Throughout 2016, as part of its commitment to sustainability, the UIAA will provide regular insights into the inspiring projects nominated for the Award.

The UIAA Mountain Protection Award is supported by Western University and Golden Rock.

Read more about the 2015 UIAA MPA recipient