People

Dr. Bhesh Raj Thapa

President

Er. Dr. Bhesh Raj Thapa is an Associate professor at the Department of Civil Engineering, Universal Engineering and Science College, affiliated with Pokhara University and working in the capacity of Principal. Dr. Thapa is a water resources engineer and did his Ph.D. in Integrated River Basin Management from the University of Yamanashi, Japan under the MEXT scholarship awarded by the government of Japan. He has been awarded Young Scientist Award 2077 by the Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) in recognition of extensive research and scientific contribution in the area of water resources research and he is also affiliated with NAST as an associate fellow. He has also been honored with Nepal Vidyabhusan Padak ‘KA”; awarded by the Government of Nepal in recognition of outstanding academic performance in Ph.D. in Engineering.

He has expertise in the design and implementation of multipurpose water resources projects, hydropower, irrigation, agricultural water management, hydrological and hydrogeological modeling, groundwater management, and governance. He has worked as a water resource expert at several governmental (WECS, DWIDM, DOI, and DSCWM) and non-governmental agencies (World Bank, IWMI). Dr. Thapa has several years of teaching experience at the Institute of Engineering, Pulchowk Campus, and Himalaya College of Engineering. He has published dozens of research papers in top-tier international journals and voluntarily affiliated with several renowned research-based institutions in Nepal.

Dr. Rocky Talchabhadel

Vice-President

Dr. Rocky Talchabhadel holds the position of Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Jackson State University. Prior to this, he spent nearly three years as a Research Scientist in El Paso, TX at Texas A&M AgriLife Research, which is affiliated with Texas A&M University. He is the Finalist of AIM for Climate Grand Challenge: Leveraging the Power of AI and Machine-Learning, AIM for Climate Summit, Washington D.C., May 08 – 10, 2023. He is a hydrologist/water resources engineer, and he obtained his Ph.D. in Civil and Earth Resources Engineering in 2017 from Kyoto University, Japan. He has published over two dozen research papers and co-authored over forty publications in top-tier international/national journals. His expertise includes Hydrology, Atmosphere, Climate Change, Hydraulics, Remote Sensing, Water Resources Engineering, and Sediment Transport.

Dr. Alka Sapkota

General Secretary

Dr. Alka Sapkota received her PhD in Environmental Engineering from UNEP–Tongji Institute of Environment
for Sustainable Development, Shanghai China. She has been working in the environmental and sustainable
development field notably climate change adaptation, solid waste management, waste to energy, water resource
management, renewable energy and development of EIA and SEA. She has participated in different national and
international seminars and presented her research work.

Dr. Dinesh Pathak

Member

Dr. Dinesh Pathak is a Professor at the Central Department of Geology, Tribhuvan University. He graduated in geology from Tribhuvan University and continued his research in exploration geophysics and hydrogeology (MS and Ph.D.) from Osaka City University. He is carrying out research in the field of hydrogeological assessment in the mountainous regions and plain areas; Natural hazards, especially landslides and floods; geomorphic evaluation for hydrogeological and landslide hazard assessment; Climate change projection leading to its impact in various sector, primarily in landslide and groundwater. Further, he has also provided professional services to the government, non-government and private sectors to execute various projects in these fields as a team leader and team member. Pathak has more than 3 dozens of publications in peer-reviewed national and international scientific journals. He has supervised dozens of students in master thesis and also some Ph.D. students are conducting research under his supervision.

Dr. Pathak has contributed to professional societies in various capacities, like Nepal Geological Society (President and General Secretary), Nepal GIS Society (Executive Member); Nepal Hydrogeological Association (Executive Member). He has also served as Editor (Journal of Nepal Geological Society) and Chief Editor (Bulletin of Nepal Hydrogeological Association).

Mrs. Meera Prajapati

Member

Mrs. Prajapati is working as coordinator of the Department of Environmental Science at Khwopa College, Bhaktapur. She completed her M.Sc (Environmental Science) with specialization in Water Quality Management from IHE-Delft, Netherlands, and Water Resources Management from Khwopa College (Tribhuvan University). She has been working in Environmental Science for more than a decade and has expertise in water quality management and water resources management. She has supervised several MSc thesis and has published research papers in top-tier international and national journals. Mrs. Prajapati is currently working as treasurer in S4W-Nepal, and she has also been associated with several research organizations.

Dr. Saroj karki

Member

Currently working as a Water-Resources Engineer at the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure Development, Province-1, Nepal, Karki carries over eight years of experience in the management of water-induced hazards in Nepal. He has accomplished several projects on river training and landslide protection. As a River professional, his interest lies in finding the practical solutions to the underlying water-related issues of Nepal which range from the management of water-induced disasters, sediment, and the surface and groundwater problems of the country. His area of expertise includes Fluvial hydraulics, hydraulic and hydrologic modeling, River morphology, etc.

Er. Rajaram Prajapati

Member

Mr. Prajapati is currently pursuing his Ph.D. at the University of Pittsburgh, USA. He completed his M.Sc. in Water Resources Engineering from the Institute of Engineering, Pulchowk Campus in Kathmandu, Nepal. Mr. Prajapati is a co-founder of S4W-Nepal and he also worked as a Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of S4W-Nepal for five years and he has two years of teaching experience in hydropower and irrigation engineering as an assistant lecturer at Khwopa Engineering College. Rajaram’s research interests focus on developing new ideas to fill the hydro-meteorological data gaps in data-scarce regions through remote sensing and citizen science approaches. At present, Rajaram is looking over a citizen-science-based project in the Kathmandu Valley as a Country Director. Besides, Mr. Prajapati is representing Nepal in CitizenScience.Asia as a country ambassador. Rajaram has always had a passion for research in these areas and is excited to supervise the works of the S4W team!

Dr. Binod Pokharel

Member

Dr. Binod Pokharel holds a PhD in Atmospheric Science from the University of Wyoming, USA, with research expertise in cloud seeding, weather modeling and forecasting, extreme weather and climate, forest fires, and air pollution in mountainous regions. He is currently an Associate Professor at Tribhuvan University, Nepal, and an Adjunct Professor at Utah State University, USA. Dr. Pokharel has led and contributed to several research projects focused on numerical weather prediction, wildfire risk and air quality, and climate change. His recent research highlights the increasing linkage between winter droughts and wildfire outbreaks in the Himalayas, as well as their impacts on air quality and public health, particularly in urban areas such as Kathmandu. He has extensive experience in cloud seeding research, including airborne remote sensing measurements using radar and lidar systems, and has participated in multiple field campaigns investigating cloud seeding over complex terrain in the Mountain West region of the United States. Dr. Pokharel has published more than 50 peer‑reviewed journal articles in international journals covering topics such as cloud seeding, extreme weather, climate change, forest fires, and air pollution.

Dr. Saraswati Thapa

Adjunct Researcher

Saraswati Thapa

Dr. Aakanchya Budhathoki

Adjunct Researcher

Dr. Aakanchya is a hydrologist and water resources researcher who is bridging the gap between modeling and real-world water security solutions. She holds a Ph.D. in Civil and Earth Resources Engineering from Kyoto University, Japan, where her research pioneered methods for quantifying climate-induced flood risks and their economic impacts on agricultural systems. With over eight years of professional experience, Dr. Aakanchya previously served as a research assistant and trainer at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) in Bangkok. She specialized in hydrological and climate modeling and organized technical capacity-building programs, workshops and conferences. 

Her professional background is further distinguished by her work with international organizations, including the UNDP, where she developed rapid flood hazard assessments for government planning, and the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), where she focused on community-level irrigation and field-based water management. As an Adjunct Researcher with Smartphones4Water Nepal (S4W-Nepal), Dr. Aakanchya focuses on flood risk assessment. She is particularly interested in leveraging innovative data collection methods, such as citizen science, to improve the accuracy of hydrological models in data-scarce regions of Nepal.

Mr. Anoj Khanal

Adjunct Researcher

Anoj Khanal is a water resources professional and hydrogeologist with over a decade of experience spanning government, international consultancy, and academic research. His work sits at the intersection of groundwater science, water governance, and cultural water heritage, with a focus on sustainable and climate-resilient water management.

He is currently a Leverhulme Trust-funded PhD researcher at the University of York (UK), exploring traditional water management systems of the Kathmandu Valley through an interdisciplinary approach integrating hydrogeology, geophysics, isotope analysis, GIS, and socio-hydrology. Alongside his research, he serves as a groundwater expert with international organisations including the World Monuments Fund (New York), supporting the restoration of heritage water systems through applied hydrogeological methods.

With a postgraduate degree in Environmental Management from Germany and an M.Sc. in Geology from Nepal, Anoj brings a rare combination of technical depth, policy experience, and heritage expertise to address water challenges in rapidly urbanising contexts.

Ms. Surabhi Upadhyaya

Adjunct Researcher

 Ms. Surabhi Upadhyay is currently pursuing her PhD in Hydrologic Science and Engineering at the Colorado School of Mines, USA. She holds a Master’s degree in Water Engineering and Management from the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Thailand. Prior to her Master’s degree, she spent two years at Smartphones For Water Nepal as a research associate, where she contributed significantly to various citizen science-based water research initiatives. At present, Surabhi is associated with S4W and S4W-Nepal as an Adjunct Researcher leveraging her experience and knowledge to support research efforts within the organization. Surabhi’s diverse experiences underscore her dedication to addressing critical water resource challenges.

Mr. Naresh Suwal

Adjunct Researcher

Mr. Naresh Suwal is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering (Water Resources) at Louisiana State University (LSU), USA. He completed his master’s degree in water Conservancy and Hydropower Engineering from Hohai University, China. Mr. Suwal has over three years of teaching experience as a Lecturer at Khwopa College of Engineering, Nepal, where he taught Hydropower Engineering and Irrigation and Drainage Engineering. He is also a co-founder of the Institute for Integrated Hydro Environment Research (IIHR), reflecting his commitment to advancing research and collaboration in water resources and environmental engineering. Mr. Suwal has contributed to peer-reviewed publications and actively engages in interdisciplinary research addressing climate change impacts, hydrologic extremes, and sustainable water resource management. He is passionate about applying innovative, data-driven approaches to solve complex water and environmental challenges at regional and global scales.

Ms. Anita Dandekhya

Adjunct Researcher

Ms. Anita Dandekhya is  currently pursuing M.Sc. in Earth Observation and Geoanalysis (EAGLE) at Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg. She holds an Erasmus Mundus Joint M.Sc. in Sustainable Forest and Nature Management from the University of Göttingen and Bangor University. She has worked as a Forest Officer at the Ministry of Forests and Environment, Nepal for six years. As an independent researcher supported by the Rufford Foundation, she has studied the feeding ecology and habitat of the Musk Deer in the Kanchenjunga Conservation Area. Her expertise bridges the gap between field-based conservation and Earth Observation data.

Mr. Sudeep Duwal

Research Associate

Sudeep has a Master’s degree in Environmental Health and Disaster Management from the Central Department of Environmental Science, Tribhuvan University, Nepal, following the completion of his B.Sc. in Environmental Science from Khwopa College. With five years of experience as a Research Associate at Smartphones For Water Nepal (S4W-Nepal), he is deeply involved in community-based research, leveraging innovative tools such as mobile applications, remote sensing, and GIS to enhance citizen science for sustainable water management and disaster resilience. At S4W-Nepal, Sudeep works closely with citizen scientists to gather and analyze water resource data, actively disseminating insights through publications, conferences, and seminars. He is dedicated to S4W-Nepal’s goals and vision of expanding citizen science across different fields and regions, making a difference in water management and disaster risk reduction.

Mr. Kaushal Rijal

Research Associate

Kaushal Rijal is a water resources engineer and researcher. His professional experience includes designing and supervising various water resources projects in Nepal, recently working as a consultant hydrologist and drainage engineer for the Air Transport Capacity Enhancement Project (ATCEP) for the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) as part of ADB’s SASEC project, and as a consultant hydrologist for the Department of Railways, Nepal. Additionally, he is passionate about working with students and giving lectures to undergraduate civil engineering students. He is a graduate of the Water Engineering and Management (WEM) program at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT). He has a keen research interest in the fields of water resources management, climate change, remote sensing, disaster preparedness, and nature-based solutions. His graduate thesis is related to the use of Landsat images to estimate areal evapotranspiration and associated droughts using the METRIC method. He is thrilled to join S4W-Nepal, where he can contribute to a dedicated research team focused on making a significant impact in the water resources sector using cost-effective technology. Kaushal’s passion for citizen science and his commitment to leveraging innovative, low-cost solutions make him an important part of the S4W-Nepal team. He is dedicated to advancing the field of water resources management and is excited to work on initiatives that promote sustainable water practices.

Ms. Prajana lakhemaru

Admin and Logistics Assistant

Prajana is a graduate with Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration at Sainik Awasiya Mahavidhyalaya, Bhaktapur (Tribhuvan University). She is employed as an Administrative and Logistics Assistant at Smartphones For Water Nepal. Beforehand, she had gained experience in different organizations as front desk staff and a primary-level science teacher. She provides managerial, communication, and logistics skills to her roles, enabling her to make meaningful contributions to the organizations. She looks forward to enhancing her administrative skills and aspires to become part of a scientific community. As an individual, she is dedicated to protecting the environment and aims to contribute in the field of water resources through effective administration and management.

Ms. Rohinee Bishwas Mandal

Research Assistant

Rohinee is a student of B.Sc. Environmental Science at Khwopa College, Bhaktapur. She is currently working at Smartphones For Water Nepal (S4W-Nepal) as a ‘Research Assistant’. She loves art and enjoys working for environmental benefits. She is ardent in contributing to the sustainable management of water resources. She is fascinated by the citizen science approach of S4W-Nepal for hydro-meteorological data generation and has developed an interest in research works especially in the field of sustainable water resource management. She considers S4W-Nepal to be a platform that has been inspiring common people to participate actively in data collection and filling in the hydro-meteorological gaps in Nepal. Her participation in the organization is assisting her in advancing her professionalism and achieving her professional goals.

Mr. Sangharsh Acharya

Research Assistant

Sangharsh is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Environmental Science at the Central Department of Environmental Science, Tribhuvan University, Nepal. He completed his Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science from Patan Multiple Campus, Lalitpur. His research interests include hydro-meteorology, climatology, and climate change-induced disasters. As a Research Assistant Intern at Smartphones For Water Nepal (S4W-Nepal), he is highly motivated to expand his knowledge of urban water resource monitoring and management by leveraging mobile technology and citizen science. During his internship, he aims to enhance his skills in remote sensing, GIS, water-related tools, and modeling.