Acción Andina

JSW-OESA WINNER 2025

Acción Andina is a regional initiative working across the Andes mountains. Over the last eight years, Acción Andina has planted over 12 and a half million native trees in partnership with local communities across Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Perú and Venezuela. Over 5000 hectares of polylepsis and high forests, critical ecosystems of the High Andes, have been restored. With an ambitious goal of restoring 1 million hectares of high Andean ecosystems, Acción Andina remains a key player in the conservation and restoration of the mighty Andes. This pan Andean initiative unites more than 140 indigenous and modern communities, strengthening water, social and environmental resilience throughout the Andes and is championed by Indigenous Peruvian leader, Constantino (Tino) Aucca Chutas, Co-Founder of Acción Andina. Constantino was honoured with a 2022 UNEP Champion of the Earth award. Recognizing the scale, ambition and impact of the initiative, Acción Andina has been acknowledged as a UN World Restoration Flagship Initiative under the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration and was awarded the prestigious 2023 Earthshot Prize.

Past Awards

The Jigme Singye Wangchuck Outstanding Environmental Stewardship Award (JSW-OESA) is conferred once every two years. It honours individuals, groups and institutions from all backgrounds for a lifetime of contribution towards ensuring the security and sustainability of Bhutan's pristine environment. It particularly merits people who have gone beyond the normal call-of-duty in their service towards environmental protection.

2025

Acción Andina

Acción Andina is a regional initiative working across the Andes mountains. Over the last eight years, Acción Andina has planted over 12 and a half million native trees in...

Bhutan Trust Fund for Environmental Conservation (BTF)

BTF is the world’s first environmental trust fund. Over the last twenty-five years, the BTF has been instrumental in sustaining Bhutan’s protected area network and continues to fund key...
2022

Karma Wangdi

Karma Wangdi is a forester working under the Department of Forests and Park Services, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forests, at the Ugyen Wangchuck Institute for Conservation and Environment....
2018

Late Sangay Wangchuk (PhD)

Late Sangay Wangchuk (PhD), who served more than 40 years with the Department of Forests and Park Services (DoFS), has been conferred the Jigme Singye Wangchuck Outstanding Environmental Stewardship...
2015

Mr. Tshering Penjore

Mr. Tshering Penjore, Principal Research Officer at Renewable Natural Research Center at Mongar has helped fabricate and construct low cost and effective electric fencing thereby helping contain and prevent...

Dr. D. B. Gurung

Dr. D.B. Gurung, Dean of the College of Natural Resources under the Royal University of Bhutan is an avid naturalist and author of the Orchids of Bhutan. His pioneering...

Mr. Sherub

Mr. Sherub, popularly known as Bird Sherub is synonymous with birds. He is working as the Chief of Research and Education at the Ugyen Wangchuck Institute for Conservation and...
2014

The Forest Protection and Surveillance Team

The 3rd Jigme Singye Wangchuck Outstanding Environmental Stewardship Award (JSW-OESA) was conferred by HRH Ashi Chimi Yangzom Wangchuck, coinciding with the opening ceremony of the 14th International Society of...
2012

Mr. Raling Ngawang Drukdra

Mr. Raling Ngawang Drukdra from the Department of Forests and Park Services is considered one of Bhutan’s foremost ethnobotanists, a specialist on the cultural values and uses of plants. He pioneered the...

Ms. Rebecca Pradhan

Ms. Rebecca Pradhan, works with the Royal Society for Protection of Nature. She has been instrumental in the conservation of Bhutan’s critically endangered white bellied heron, a cause to which she...
2010

Dasho Paljor J. Dorji

Dasho Paljor J. Dorji is the founder of the Royal Society for Protection of Nature (RSPN), the first homegrown environmental NGO in Bhutan. The RSPN, which was founded in 1987, now supplements...

Mr. Sonam Phuntsho

Mr. Sonam Phuntsho started planting trees as a primary school student in the early 1970s. Since then, he has planted more than 10,000 saplings of bluepine, maple and oak throughout...