Sonam Wangchuk named to TIME 100 Climate list while imprisoned in India’s Jodhpur jail
New York: Globally renowned Ladakhi climate innovator and educator Sonam Wangchuk has been featured in TIME Magazine’s prestigious 2025 TIME100 Climate list, even as he remains imprisoned under the draconian National Security Act (NSA) in Rajasthan’s Jodhpur jail. Wangchuk’s detention stems from his advocacy for the political rights of the people of the Ladakh region in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the TIME100 Climate list recognizes 100 global leaders who are making significant strides in combating climate change. Wangchuk has been honored in the “Defenders” category, which celebrates those working to protect the planet’s most vulnerable ecosystems and communities. At 57 years old, Wangchuk joins a distinguished group of world leaders, scientists, entrepreneurs, and activists shaping the future of climate resilience.
Wangchuk’s inclusion comes at a time when he is incarcerated under the NSA, following a 35-day hunger strike earlier this year. His protest called for Ladakh to be granted statehood and for the region to be included under the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution, which would safeguard its fragile Himalayan ecosystem and protect the rights of its indigenous communities. His arrest came shortly after Indian forces killed four civilian protesters and injured many others in Leh on September 24.
TIME’s recognition underscores Wangchuk’s pioneering work in sustainable water management, particularly his creation of the “ice stupa” — an artificial glacier designed to address water scarcity in Ladakh’s cold desert. The ice stupa, which stores winter water to be used during the dry summer months, has been successfully replicated in several countries, including Nepal, Pakistan, Chile, and the Swiss Alps, earning Wangchuk international acclaim as a climate innovator.
Wangchuk’s global recognition has reignited debate over his detention, with critics calling it a grim reflection of BJP-led Indian government’s treatment of activists. Wangchuk’s wife, Gitanjali J. Angmo, who leads the Himalayan Institute of Alternatives (HIAL) that Wangchuk founded, shared the TIME announcement on social media, describing the honor as a moment of “poignant irony.”
“While his own government is busy proclaiming Wangchuk an anti-national and a threat to national security, TIME Magazine celebrates him as one of the world’s most influential leaders driving real climate action,” Angmo wrote on X.
