Mingma Norbu Sherpa Memorial Scholarship Committee

Media Release: Kathmandu, 10 June 2011

Nepali wins prestigious German Climate Protection Fellowship

Nepali national Ms Anu Kumari Lama has been awarded the Humboldt International Climate Protection Fellowship, offered by the

HumboldtFoundation in Bonn, Germany. She is one of 14 prospective leaders selected from 13 different countries who were successful among the 31 young scientists short listed for the fellowships. Starting in September 2011, the new Humboldtians come from Bolivia, China (two applicants), Ecuador, Guinea-Bissau, Indonesia, Laos, Nepal, Nigeria, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Syria and Uzbekistan. Their subjects range from agricultural economics and botany to solar power use and political economics.

A graduate of Lincoln University in Christchurch New Zealand, Anu Kumari Lama was one of the first recipients of the Mingma Norbu Sherpa Memorial Scholarship, supported by Lincoln University, WWF, Himalayan Trust and Greater Himalayas Foundation. The MNSMS is awarded annually to encourage postgraduate study and research in natural resource management, tourism and the environment to build conservation leadership in Nepal, inspired by and in memory of Mingma Norbu Sherpa. Anu’s Master thesis was on the subject of vulnerability of nature-based tourism to climate change in the Annapurna Conservation Area.

Each year, up to twenty International Climate Protection Fellowships are awarded to prospective leaders from emerging or developing countries who work on issues relating to climate protection and resource conservation in academia, business, government or non governmental organisations. They come to Germany for a year to conduct a project dedicated to the sharing of knowledge, methods and techniques together with a host. This encourages the creation of a network in which German and foreign experts collaborate on a sustainable, international basis to combat climate change and its global consequences. The fellowships are funded under the Federal Environment Ministry’s International Climate Protection Initiative.

Anu will divide her time between Nepal and Germany (University of Wuerzburg) whilst she pursues her studies. We wish her all the best and many congratulations.