Chewang Norphel

Indian engineer who created artificial glaciers to solve water crises in Himalayan villages

Chewang Norphel, the 'Ice Man of Ladakh', developed revolutionary low-cost artificial glaciers to combat water scarcity in India's high-altitude deserts. As a civil engineer with Jammu & Kashmir's Rural Development Department, he observed how climate change was shrinking natural glaciers that fed mountain springs.

His innovation involves building horizontal ice walls at strategic altitudes using stone embankments and underground pipelines. These artificial glaciers melt earlier than natural ones, providing crucial irrigation water during spring planting seasons. Since 1987, Norphel has created 15 artificial glaciers benefiting 10,000 villagers across 18 villages.

Each structure costs just $30,000 compared to $1 million for concrete reservoirs. His work earned the Jamnalal Bajaj Award for sustainable technology and inspired similar projects in Nepal and Bhutan. At 86, Norphel continues advising Himalayan communities on water management through his NGO Leh Nutrition Project.