Sonam Wangchuk has been instrumental in changing the face of education in the Ladakh region through SECMOL (Students’ Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh). By introducing child-centred, language-relevant and participative school models, this initiative is responsible for a massive decrease in school drop-out rates among Ladakhi children. An engineer by education,Sonam invented the Ice Stupa artificial glacier which stores waters in winter in the form of giant ice cones or stupas that releases the water in late spring as they melt, in an effort to solve the water crisis facing mountain regions. Sonam is the recipient of several awards including The Rolex Award for Enterprise 2016, The Terra Award 2016 for World’s best Earth Buildings in Lyon France, The UNESCO Chair for Earth Architecture for India in 2014 and the Ashoka: Innovators for the Public award in 2002. Sonam has also recently been announced as a Ramon Magsaysay Awardee in 2018.