This compilation features a diverse group of experts, researchers, and professionals dedicated to advancing knowledge in environmental science, policy, sustainability, and social justice. Each author brings unique perspectives, ranging from academic research to hands-on experience in various fields. Their combined work covers pressing issues such as climate change, natural resource management, gender and caste equality, social inclusion, and the intersection of development and environmental conservation.
Each author's bio (rotation with picture and name, clickable with read more)
Jagannath Adhikari
Jagannath Adhikari works mainly as an independent researcher and, occasionally, teaches in Nepal and Australia. He is interested in researching environmental justice, participatory natural resources management, food security, globalization and migration, and urban studies, and has published extensively on these themes.
Kishor Atreya
Kishor Atreya is currently affiliated with the Institute of Forestry, Tribhuvan University, Nepal, where he serves as an associate professor of mountain environment and development. His research focuses on various areas, including the management of natural resources for livelihoods, traditional knowledge and socio-ecological systems, and the economic valuation of nature services and disservices.
Srijana Baral
Srijana Baral is a researcher and practitioner of Gender Equality, Social Inclusion and Governance in Forestry, Climate Change, and Natural Resource Management. With almost 1.5 decades of experience, she is currently a Gender Equality and Social Inclusion Lead at RECOFTC, Thailand.
Narayan Belbase
Narayan Belbase, an environmental public interest lawyer, has been working for over three decades towards facilitating and mainstreaming environmental governance and justice in Nepal's new Constitution. He is the author of over a dozen books on environmental policy, legislation, and gender justice.
Arjun Kumar B.K.
Arjun Kumar B.K. is a writer, researcher, and advocate dedicated to uplifting marginalized communities in Nepal, particularly the Dalit community. He actively contributes to evidence-based policy advocacy at the Samata Foundation.
Sunita Chaudhary
Sunita Chaudhary is working as an Ecosystem Services Specialist at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), Kathmandu, Nepal. Her area of expertise is interdisciplinary, focusing on human-nature interactions from the perspective of human geography.
Suresh Kumar Dhakal
Suresh Kumar Dhakal is an Associate Professor of Anthropology at Tribhuvan University. His current research interests include peasantry, land tenure/agrarian relations, bonded laborers, and environmental justice. He is also engaged in linking academic exercise to social issues through public debate.
Meghnath Dhimal
Meghnath Dhimal is an Environmental Health Scientist with over 20 years of experience in research and policy formulation. His primary area of expertise is environmental health with a focus on climate change and health. Currently, he works as a Senior Research Officer at the Nepal Health Research Council and is a Fellow of the International Science Council.
Mandira Lamichhane Dhimal
Mandira Lamichhane Dhimal is a social scientist and policy expert in Nepal. She has more than a decade of experience in social science research, interdisciplinary studies, and policy research. Currently, she serves as a Research Director at the Planetary Health Research Centre (PHRC), Kathmandu.
Hom Nath Gartaula
Hom Nath Gartaula is a senior scientist at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) based in Los Baños, Philippines. His research focuses on food security, climate change, gender and social inclusion, and agricultural innovation systems.
Monika Giri
Monika Giri, a Research Fellow at the Southasia Institute of Advanced Studies, is pursuing a Ph.D. in Integrative Conservation and Environmental Anthropology at the University of Georgia, USA. Her research centers on climate and resource governance, with a particular focus on climate-induced disasters, adaptation, relocation, and just transitions.
Jonathan K London
Jonathan K London is a Professor in the Department of Human Ecology/Community and Regional Development at the University of California, Davis. He applies a community-based research approach to studies on environmental justice and rural development issues and co-teaches a learning exchange program in Nepal.
Kirti Kusum Joshi
Kirti Kusum Joshi is a scholar of urban and regional planning. He is the Founding Dean of the College of Engineering and IT at Lumbini Technological University, Nepal.
Kalpana Karki
Kalpana Karki is an advocate and a campaigner for women’s land rights and joint land ownership in Nepal. She is currently a Campaign Manager at Community Self-Reliance Centre (CSRC). She is a focal gender person for the International Land Coalition, Forum Asia, and works to strengthen networks and alliances for women’s land rights.
Rahul Karki
Rahul Karki has fifteen years of work experience in research on community forestry and natural resources management. He is trained as an environmentalist and has practical field experiences. He has published in national and international peer-reviewed journals.
Kanchan Kattel
Kanchan Kattel is a researcher at the Department of Nutrition and Public Health, University of Agder, Norway. Her research focuses on the components of sustainable food systems and nutrition in the Himalayas.
Kanchan Lama
Kanchan Lama has over 30 years of experience in the Central and South Asian region. She works as the Principal Investigator for the IDRC-Canada funded project with ForestAction Nepal titled “Economic Empowerment of Women through Forest Solutions.”
Jony Mainaly
Jony Mainaly is an independent researcher and teaches environmental law, gender, and law in Nepal. Her major area of research focuses on law, policy, and justice issues governing environment, climate change, gender, and social inclusion.
Gyanu Maskey
Gyanu Maskey is a researcher at the Southasia Institute of Advanced Studies. Her research expertise encompasses the themes of water, forest, agriculture, and climate, with a focus on governance, justice, equity, and inclusion.
Dhirendra Nalbo
Dhirendra Nalbo is the Co-Founder of the Open Institute for Social Science, a Liberal Arts college based in Kathmandu, Nepal. He teaches and writes on peace and conflict studies primarily linked with the politics of the environment, climate change, and geopolitics.
Arnico Panday
Arnico Panday’s expertise and experiences include atmospheric science research, air pollution and climate policy, sustainable development planning, institution building, cross-border collaborations, teaching, and mentoring.
Madan Pariyar
Madan Pariyar was born in a Dalit family in Rajbiraj, Saptari district of Nepal. He led the Government of Nepal’s High-Level Commission for State Restructuring as its Chairman. He has made notable contributions to research in inclusion and good governance and is the Founding Member of the Samata Foundation.
Naya Sharma Paudel
Naya Sharma Paudel is a lead researcher at ForestAction Nepal. He is a political ecologist with interests in community forestry, participatory conservation, forest policy, tenure, and resource governance.
Prajal Pradhan
Prajal Pradhan is an Assistant Professor at the Energy and Sustainability Research Institute, University of Groningen, Netherlands. He is an expert in food systems, climate change, and sustainable development goals (SDGs). His current research focuses on understanding the necessary conditions for long-term sustainability, including achieving SDGs, urban transformations, and climate resilience.
Prashanna Man Pradhan
Prashanna Man Pradhan is a Senior Program Manager at ENPHO (Environment and Public Health Organization) with aneducational background, holding a dual degree in Environmental Science and Applied Science, along with a Master's in Environmental Management. His expertise lies in addressing water and sanitation challenges, where he excels in water quality assessment, sanitation initiatives, and developing sustainable solutions for communities.
Thomas (Tom) Robertson
Thomas (Tom) Robertson is a historian and the former director of Fulbright Nepal/USEF. He researches the history of development and environmental change in Nepal.
Anisha Sapkota
Anisha Sapkota recently completed an MSc in Agriculture with a specialization in Agricultural Botany and Ecology at the Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science, Tribhuvan University, Nepal. Her research interests revolve around sustainable agricultural practices, agrobiodiversity, biodiversity conservation, and pesticides.
Poshendra Satyal
Poshendra Satyal serves as Senior Policy Manager at BirdLife International in Cambridge (UK). His research expertise encompasses interdisciplinary and policy-relevant studies on environment and development in Asia and Africa, with a focus on social and environmental justice within the realms of nature conservation, water governance, forest management, and climate change.
Prabindra Shakya
Prabindra Shakya is a human rights activist from Nepal’s indigenous Newar community. He is the Founder/Director of the Community Empowerment & Social Justice Network (CEMSOJ) in Nepal and also the Convenor of the Asia Indigenous Peoples Network on Extractive Industries and Energy (AIPNEE).
Bhawana Sharma
Bhawana Sharma is a passionate development expert with over two decades of diverse experience in Program Management, specializing in Public Health, Sanitation, Education, and other development issues. She is the Executive Director of ENPHO and has worked extensively in Nepal, India, and Denmark.
Pasang Sherpa
Pasang Sherpa is a Sharwa anthropologist from Pharak, southern part of the Mt. Everest region in northeastern Nepal. Her research, writing, and pedagogy focus on climate change and Indigeneity among Himalayan communities. She is an Assistant Professor of Lifeways in Indigenous Asia at the University of British Columbia.
Bijay Singh
Bijay Singh is a Lecturer at Tribhuvan University, IOE, Pulchowk Campus, Nepal, with expertise in housing design, architecture, and urban planning.
Sangeeta Singh
Sangeeta Singh is a Professor in Urban Planning and Deputy Director at the Centre for Disaster Studies at the Institute of Engineering at Tribhuvan University, as well as the Coordinator of the Nepal National Urban Forum representing the Institute of Engineering.
Arti Govinda Shrestha
Arti Govinda Shrestha is an environmental engineering graduate and holds a master’s degree in water engineering and management. She has worked on air pollution projects at ICIMOD and the World Bank and is passionate about integrating air and water elements for a holistic environmental understanding.
Bidhya Shrestha
Bidhya Shrestha teaches at the Central Department of Population Studies, Tribhuvan University. Her research covers gender studies, demography, and reproductive health.
Tara Lal Shrestha
Tara Lal Shrestha teaches at the Central Department of English, Tribhuvan University. His publications focus on subaltern, resistance, and justice. He also leads the Cycle Culture Community in Nepal.
Madhusudan Subedi
Madhusudan Subedi is a social scientist and has been working as a researcher, university teacher, and training facilitator since 1993. Currently, he is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Community Health Sciences, and Coordinator of the School of Public Health at Patan Academy of Health Sciences, Nepal.
Mukta S. Tamang
Mukta S. Tamang is an anthropologist who teaches at Tribhuvan University. He was a Visiting Fellow at Jawaharlal Nehru University, Goldsmiths College of the University of London, and worked as a Research Fellow at the New School for Social Research in New York.
Marissa Taylor
Marissa Taylor is a writer based in Kathmandu, Nepal. She has authored numerous publications, exploring themes related to social inclusion, environmental governance, and climate change adaptation in rural areas.
Leah Temper
Leah Temper is an ecological economist and political ecologist She is currently the Director of
the Health and Economic Policy Program at the Canadian Association of Physicians for the
Environment where she leads the “Fossil Fuel Ads Make Us Sick” campaign. She is co-
founder of the Global Atlas of Environmental Justice and the co-coordinator of the ACKnowl-
EJ project (Activist-academic Co-production of Knowledge for Environmental Justice).
Sudeep Jana Thing
Sudeep Jana Thing works with a not-for-profit organisation that offers social and home care
services to Aboriginal and other senior citizens in Perth. Prior to this he conducted research on
state-local people contestations, local resistance and social movements, human rights, equity,
social justice, governance, sustainable livelihoods in relation to conservation and protected areasas well as indigenous peoples’ and local community conserved areas and territories in Nepal.