«Andreas Schild, born in 1944 in Bönigen, Switzerland, studied at the University of Bern and became a development specialist with experiences in many mountain countries like Nepal, Bhutan, Pakistan, Ruanda, Burundi, Bolivia and Afghanistan, before joining the «International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development» (ICIMOD) in Kathmandu as Director General. He is an expert on natural resource management and rural development. Andreas Schild promoted a new strategy for a more effective and forwardlooking cooperation between the eight member countries of the Hindu Kush-Himalaya. Integrated water and hazard management, environmental change and ecosystem services, sustainable livelihoods and poverty reduction are the three strategic programmes he developed to meet the challenges of climate and human-induced changes.

For 38 years, Andreas Schild has promoted cooperation with partners all over the world, particularly in mountain regions. Under his leadership, the National Solidarity Programme has become highly successful in Afghanistan.»

Albert Mountain Award 2010