The first Sir Edmund Hillary Himalayan Environment Award, instituted by the Himalayan Environment was conferred on Dr Andreas Schild presently Director General of the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development based in
Kathmandu. The
place at the Indian Mountaineering Foundation Headquarters in New Delhi on 14 Oct, 2008, the 20th Foundation Day of the Himalayan Environment Trust.
Dr. Schild
was the Executive Director of Inter Cooperation from 1988 to 2000 during which period the organization saw considerable growth and expanded in thematic coverage. Born in Switzerland in 1944, Dr. Schild has over 30 years experience in designing, planning,
execution and monitoring of cooperation programmes mainly in sustainable natural resources management with partner institutions all over the world.
Dr. R.K Pachauri, the Chief Guest, assumed his current responsibilities as the Chief Executive of TERI
(The Energy and Resources Institute) in 1982, first as Director and, since April 2001, as Director-General. TERI does original research and provides knowledge in the areas of energy, environment, forestry, biotechnology, and the conservation of natural resources to governments, institutions, and corporate organizations
worldwide. In April 2002, Dr Pachauri was elected the Chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, established by the World Meteorological Organization and the United Nations Environment Programme in 1988 (Re-elected in September 2008).
Dr. Karan Singh
who presided over the function paid a rich tribute to late Sir Edmund Hillary, Captain M.S. Kohli, Maurice Herzog, Sir Chris Bonington, Reinhold Messener and Junko Tabei, the Founders of HET, for not only arresting the growing degradation of the Himalayan areas but for
spreading awareness about the problems of Himalayan environment all over the world.Dr. Karan Singh that he was privileged of being associated with the Himalayan Environment Trust from its very inception as Advisor.
The Chairman of the Trust, Captain M.S. Kohli traced the history of the Himalayan Environment
(during the past two decades which has resulted in saving the Himalayas. Captain Kohli said that 20 years ago they took up the threat of degradation and deforestation of the Himalayan areas with great determination and success. The HET, though Sir Edmund Hillary is no more with us, will now take up the
challenge of global warming and shrinking of the Himalayan glaciers with the same vigour.
