Our Team
Shahid S. Sulaiman
Founder | Researcher, Climate Activist and Advocate for Sustainable Pastoralism.
Researcher specializing in Pastoralism, Grasslands, Climate change, and Sustainable Pastoral practices in the Kashmir Himalayas. With a focus on preserving traditional knowledge and fostering sustainable solutions, I lead initiatives like Alpine Pond Solution, aimed at mitigating the effects of climate-induced drought through innovative water conservation strategies, and Grassland to Classroom, which bridges the gap between academic knowledge and traditional pastoral wisdom. I am also part of the Regional Support Group for the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP) South Asia.
YAMEEN NAZIR
Incharge Media and Documentation
I am an Engineering graduate, and a dedicated filmmaker by passion. At HPT, I serve as the Incharge of Media and Documentation, where I focus on capturing stories that reflect community traditions, challenges, and resilience, while also capturing and documenting HPT’s various initiatives. I strive to preserve cultural heritage and contribute to positive change within pastoral communities through visual storytelling.
SHAFIQ QURESHI
Researcher | Editor, Dokh'Ma Letters | Accounts Manager
Shafiq holds a Master’s degree in English Literature and is currently a Researcher in Literary Studies. He is committed to preserving indigenous stories, culture, and heritage. At HPT, he develops educational resources in local languages, and serves as a resource person in various educational workshops. He also manages the trust’s accounts and serves as the Editor of Dokh’ma Letters, the trust’s e-magazine, ensuring careful curation and the meaningful representation of diverse voices.
SHAISTA MUSHTAQ
Public Health & Community Research
Researcher in Public health and Medical Geography. Focusing on climate-related health risks and the links between environmental change and human well-being. At the Himalayan Pastoral Trust, i work closely with pastoral women to translate research into practical action, supporting community engagement, health risk communication, field-based assessments, and policy-relevant research aimed at building climate-resilient and healthy communities.
DR. RAYEES AHMED
Expert in Climate Change and Natural Hazards with a Focus on Himalayan Extremes
Researcher in Climate Change, Natural Hazards, and Disaster Risk and Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Leeds under the International Strategy Fund. I have published over 45 articles and serves on editorial boards, including Springer and Frontiers in Water. Recognized with the Maulana Azad National Fellowship (2020), he has expertise in remote sensing, GIS, and glacial geomorphology. Dr. Ahmed also serves as Secretary for the GSAG of AAG and has presented his work at AGU, EGU, and AAG.
UZMA FAROOQ
Lead – Women’s Initiatives
I am a medical researcher and community worker from the Pir Panjal region, committed to advocating for women’s health in tribal communities. At HPT, I lead initiatives that empower pastoralist women by raising awareness on women’s rights, personal and menstrual hygiene, and education. My work also focuses on strengthening local leadership through active community engagement, field visits, and capacity-building workshops.
JABID CHAUHAN
Community Educator
I am an advocate for the Van Gujjar pastoral community in Uttarakhand, working on education and cultural preservation. As Project Coordinator at Jeevan Shiksha, I teach and support learning material development for Van Gujjar children. I also work as a Nature Guide in Rajaji National Park and Jhilmil Jheel Conservation Reserve, promoting community-led conservation and awareness of pastoral heritage and biodiversity.
JAMEELA SHAFI
Conservation Practitioner
I am a grassroots conservation practitioner working across the mountain landscapes of Kazinag in North Kashmir. At HPT, i work on community-based Markhor conservation through field monitoring, wildlife documentation, habitat awareness, and community outreach focused on reducing local threats and promoting coexistence in Himalayan ecosystems.
SHOWKAT HAMID MIR
Paleoecology & Grassland
Humboldt Fellow, Botanist and paleoecologist specializing in phytolith analysis, grass systematics, and multi-proxy reconstruction of past vegetation and climate in the Himalayas. My work explores uplift-driven diversification of Himalayan ecosystems using advanced palaeoecological approaches. At the Himalayan Pastoral Trust, I contributes to scientific expertise to understanding long-term landscape dynamics, grassland evolution, and ecological baselines critical for conservation and rangeland restoration.
ARIF CHOUHAN
Field Coordinator, Grassland to Classroom
I am an educator working with tribal nomadic communities. I serve as the Field Coordinator of the Grasslands to Classrooms Initiative, where I manage a seasonal learning center in Kulgam and coordinate three HPT mobile education centers, implementing learning materials and educational approaches adapted to the migratory pastoral communities.
ABRAR FAROOQ
Researcher | Lead GIS Team
Research Fellow at the University of Kashmir, with focus on mountain ecosystems, glaciers, and cryospheric processes, with an emphasis on climate change impacts in high mountain regions.
I specialize in GIS and remote sensing for environmental analysis and lead the GIS team at the Himalayan Pastoral Trust, where I mentor interns in applied GIS and data management for research and field based projects.
