Mipham Jigmet

Mipham Jigmet, an environmental engineer from Ladakh with a Master’s from IIT Bombay, combines technical expertise with grassroots innovation to address climate challenges in high-altitude ecosystems. As the co-founder of Zero Waste Ladakh, his work focuses on sustainable waste management solutions tailored to the region’s fragile environment.

As an NYCC Climate Champion from Ladakh, he brought together young people, community members, and climate experts through a flagship workshop on Building a Resilient Ladakh, building grounded awareness on groundwater contamination and sanitation challenges in high-altitude regions. His approach centred on a practical, climate-appropriate solution by retrofitting soak pits with impermeable HDPE liners to prevent wastewater seepage, to offer a simple, scalable, and locally adaptable model for groundwater protection.

Working closely with stakeholders like the Municipal Committee Leh, Ladakh Pollution Control Committee, and local organisations, Mipham’s initiative demonstrates a scalable, community-driven model for protecting water resources in ecologically sensitive mountain regions of Ladakh.  He continues to advance his work with Zero Waste Ladakh, strengthening sustainable waste management systems and work on developing the most suitable soak pit retrofitting model..