At the core of the development sector lie stories of extraordinary courage, stories that rarely make headlines but quietly shape the future of communities. The Junoon Awards, named after the Hindi word for “passion,” were created to honour this spirit. Junoon recognises organisations that push boundaries, take risks for the larger good, and persist with resilience in the face of adversity. Over the years, the awards have highlighted different dimensions of commitment. The first edition, Junoon ’23, celebrated exceptional COVID-19 resilience, spotlighting those who worked in uncertainty and fear to support communities through a global crisis. The second edition, Junoon ’24, shifted focus to innovation, honouring organisations that reimagined systems and introduced fresh, transformative approaches to long-standing social challenges.
In its third edition, Junoon ’25 turns to one of the most urgent priorities of our time: Redefining Resilience—Climate Action for Lasting Change. As climate disruptions increasingly reshape lives and landscapes across India, the awards honour organisations that respond with courage rooted in community wisdom and long-term thinking. This year, the Snow Leopard Conservancy India Trust stands out in the category of Civic Participation, recognised for weaving conservation, culture, and climate resilience into a powerful model of people-led change.
Founded in 2000, formally registered in 2003, Snow Leopard Conservancy India Trust began with the belief that protecting the endangered snow leopard and its fragile high-altitude habitat could not be achieved through top-down conservation alone. The organisation recognised that the people living closest to these landscapes, pastoralists, farmers, monks, and youth, held not only knowledge but a deep, generational relationship with the mountains. Conservation, therefore, needed to be as much about communities as it was about wildlife. Since 2007, they have extended their work to remote regions such as Zanskar in Ladakh, where climate vulnerability is pronounced and human-wildlife encounters are increasingly complex. Their interventions combine ecological understanding with traditional governance, youth engagement, and livelihood-based solutions, ensuring that communities are not just beneficiaries but active leaders in protecting their environment.
Their approach is rooted in coexistence. The Himalayan Homestay Programme has created dignified, sustainable livelihoods while reducing pressure on wildlife habitats. Predator-proof corrals and bear-proof storage systems have significantly reduced losses and confrontations, allowing villagers and wildlife to share space more safely. In water-stressed settlements like Kumik and Zangla, the installation of extensive PVC pipelines has helped communities regain water security in the face of retreating glaciers, preventing the distress-driven abandonment of these villages.
This year, Snow Leopard Conservancy India Trust receives the Junoon Award in the Civic Participation category, a recognition of how deeply their work is anchored in people’s participation. The organisation collaborates with multiple layers of local leadership—from the traditional Goba system to school leaders, monks, youth groups and councillors. Glacier monitoring programmes, workshops on cryosphere, and the annual Indus River Walks draw young people into environmental stewardship, while education initiatives across schools in Ladakh make climate learning experiential and rooted in local realities. Their Students for Students programme, along with seminars, alternative learning camps and field sessions, has enabled conversations on ecology and climate change to reach classrooms, monasteries, and university audiences.The Junoon Award 2025 celebrates this belief and honours the Snow Leopard Conservancy India Trust for redefining what climate resilience can look like in the Himalayas. Their journey stands as a reminder that lasting climate action begins with participation, trust, and the unwavering Junoon of communities determined to protect the landscapes they call home.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
At The Logical Indian, we believe meaningful climate action cannot succeed without listening to the people who live closest to nature. The recognition of Snow Leopard Conservancy India Trust at Junoon ’25 reaffirms a powerful truth: resilience grows when conservation is rooted in trust, dialogue, and shared responsibility. By placing communities at the heart of climate solutions, this model nurtures coexistence rather than conflict, and hope instead of fear. As climate challenges intensify, stories like these remind us that empathy, participation and collective courage can shape a more harmonious future. Shouldn’t our climate policies also begin with the people most affected by them?
