Jigme Singye Wangchuck Outstanding Environmental Stewardship Award (JSWOESA)2025 Awarded to Acción Andina and Bhutan Trust Fund for Environmental Conservation

The Jigme Singye Wangchuck Outstanding Environmental Stewardship Award – an initiative of the Bhutan Ecological Society (BES) under the leadership and patronage of Her Royal Highness Ashi Chimi Yangzom Wangchuck – celebrates outstanding individuals and institutions from Bhutan and around the world for their exemplary contributions to environmental protection and sustainability.

Conferred by Her Royal Highness Ashi Chimi Yangzom Wangchuck, Royal Patron of BES, the award honours the visionary environmental leadership of His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuck, the Fourth Druk Gyalpo, whose enduring legacy continues to guide Bhutan’s conservation efforts.

For 2025, the Award was proudly presented to two remarkable recipients:

• Acción Andina
A leading regional ecosystem restoration initiative across the Andes, Acción Andina has – within just eight years – planted more than 12.5 million native trees and restored over 5,000 hectares of Polylepis and high Andean forests across seven countries.

Working alongside more than 140 indigenous and local communities, the initiative strengthens social, water, and ecological resilience throughout the Andean region.

Led by Indigenous Peruvian conservationist Constantino (Tino) Aucca Chutas – 2022 UNEP Champion of the Earth – Acción Andina is recognized as a UN World Restoration Flagship and a 2023 Earthshot Prize laureate.

• Bhutan Trust Fund for Environmental Conservation (BTF)
The world’s first environmental trust fund, BTF has played a pivotal role in sustaining Bhutan’s Protected Areas and financing critical conservation initiatives nationwide for more than 25 years. As the only Bhutanese institution accredited to both the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and the Adaptation Fund, BTF continues to deliver transformative benefits for Bhutan’s environment, biodiversity, and climate resilience.

BES is honoured to celebrate the achievements of Acción Andina and the Bhutan Trust Fund for Environmental Conservation, and to uphold His Majesty’s legacy of environmental stewardship for future generations.