Established in 1976, The Rolex Awards are a component of a three-part pillar in the Rolex Perpetual Planet initiative, which supports those working towards a better future by conserving the environment and improving its well-being. This year’s five recipients of the 2021 Rolex Awards for Enterprise include social entrepreneur Felix Brooks-Church, geographer and climate advocate Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, conservationist Rinzin Phunjok Lama, polar explorer Gina Moseley, and marine scientist Luiz Rocha. “Rather than venturing into the unknown and discovering uncharted lands, the new breed of explorers is committed to protecting the planet. The five Laureates are prime examples of these guardians of the future,” reveals Rolex Director of Communication & Image, Arnaud Boetsch. Meet these exemplary trailblazers in the congratulatory video below.
View the gallery to learn more about the five winners.
Felix Brooks-church, from United States, tackles malnutrition in Tanzania through equipping rural flour mills with a ‘dosifier’ machine, which adds critical micronutrients to fortify staple foods. Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, from Chad, uses indigenous peoples’ traditional knowledge to map natural resources and prevent climate conflicts in the Sahel. Rinzin Phunjok Lama, from Nepal, works to protect the richly diverse ecosystems of the Trans-Himalayan region, home of iconic and globally threatened mammals, by involving local communities. Gina Moseley, from the United Kingdom, aims to lead the first expedition to explore the planet’s northernmost caves to improve our knowledge of climate change in the Arctic. Luiz Rocha, from Brazil, works to explore and protect mesophotic coral reefs and their biodiversity in the Indian Ocean, and to strengthen conservation of these largely unknown ecosystems.