Dr Basanta Raj Adhikari is a geologist, researcher and disaster risk reduction expert with over two decades of experience in Himalayan geohazards, climate change and disaster resilience. He currently serves as the Director of the Centre for Disaster Studies, Institute of Engineering, Tribhuvan University, and as an Assistant Professor of Engineering Geology at Pulchowk Campus. He is also the President of Disaster Preparedness Network Nepal (DPNet Nepal). 

He holds a PhD in Earth Sciences from the University of Vienna, Austria. His research focuses on landslides, multi-hazard risk assessment, early warning systems, climate change adaptation and community-based disaster risk reduction. He has published more than 50 scientific papers and book chapters and has received international recognition, including the IRDR Young Scientist distinction and recognition as a Young Affiliate of The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS). He has also served as a visiting professor at Sichuan University in China and Keio University in Japan.