December 11th marks International Mountain Day. This year’s theme: Glaciers matter for water, food and livelihoods in mountains and beyond. This brings attention to the vital role of glaciers in sustaining agriculture, water security and biodiversity. And nowhere on earth is this more critical than in Tibet, home to tens of thousands of glaciers that drip-feed freshwater into rivers that sustain over 1.5 billion people downstream.December 10th marks the anniversary of HH Dalai Lama’s NobelPeace Prize Award. As we celebrate the Year of Compassion that heralds HH Dalai Lama’s 90th birthday, this is auspicious timing to announce the winners of the 2025 Tibet Eco-Awards.
ART category / joint award winners / US$1,500 each awarded / (see following descriptions)
POETRY & YOUTH categories
All Youth category entries were submitted as poetry.Unfortunately, some rather lazy poets out there, as a number of entries were clearly AI-enhanced or even AI-generated, with nobody of work or social media presence to back up the entry. As there were no strong contenders for Poetry, the decision has been made to contribute funds to initiatives in creative fields that support emerging/early-career artists in the Tibetan world.
WINNER ART category
“Moving Mountains”
Artwork by Khenzom
oil on canvas, 30 inches x 40 inches
Khenzom is a Tibetan-American artist. She graduated from Yale University with a degree in environmental sciences. Her paintings weave together human and natural elements in surreal scenarios. Web: Khenzom.com
Artist’s statement: “Moving Mountains” is a contemplative portrait of a Tibetan nomad set against the sweeping peaks of the Tibetan plateau. As Tibet warms at an alarming rate and its mountains and waterways face intense extraction and development, this painting highlights both ecological fragility and Tibetan resistance. The nomad figure appears as a protector, cradling a snow-capped mountain – an image that makes literal the immense effort required to confront climate change. The act of moving a mountain becomes a testament to possibility: a reminder that even the most daunting challenges can be met, and that doing so requires centering Indigenous people and their struggles for land, human rights, and climate justice in Tibet and around the world.
WINNER, ART category
“Damnation”Digital artwork
by Lobsang Soepa
Lobsang Soepa is an illustrator, mural artist and comic-book creator who focuses on Tibetan themes. Originally from Tawang, he is now based in Dharamsala. Web: Lopsangsoepa.com
Artist's Statement: "Damnation" So much going on in this striking design that depicts China’s weaponization of Tibet’s rivers. The CCP is run by a dynasty of rogue engineers, hell-bent on building mega projects that are extremely risky for the environment—not only in China, but around the globe as part of the massive Belt-and-Road Initiative. And the most disastrous of these Chinese mega-projects are mega dams on the rivers of Tibet. Effectively turning Tibet’s mighty rivers into Chinese taps—killing the rivers, and starving the nations downstream. Desperate people from Mekong nations are depicted begging for water in this apocalyptic vision, while in northeast India, decimated fisheries are shown. At upper right, Xi Jinping is depicted as a demonic deity wielding water pistols. This artwork has definite emotional impact.
Tibet Eco-Awards 2025 are sponsored by Sumeru Books, publisher of This Fragile Planet: His Holiness the Dalai Lama on Environment; Michael Buckley, editor of This Fragile Planet; International Campaign for Tibet; and SFT-India.