Dr. Dhiraj Pradhananga has over 30 years of experience in water, climate, and environmental sciences, making significant contributions to education, research, and advocacy for climate resilience. He began his professional career as a meteorologist at Nepal’s Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (1995–1998) and is currently an Associate Professor at Tribhuvan University. He is a UNESCO Chairholder in Mountain Water Sustainability and a Vice President of the International Commission of Snow and Ice Hydrology (ICISH) of IAHS (2023–2027). As the President of The Small Earth Nepal (SEN), Dr Pradhananga promotes sustainable lifestyles through education, research, and community networks.
Dr Pradhananga holds advanced degrees in hydro-meteorology and environmental sciences, including two master’s degrees: one in Meteorology from Tribhuvan University, Nepal, and another in Environment from the University of Melbourne, Australia. He also completed a PhD in Glacier Hydrology from the University of Saskatchewan, Canada, as well as postgraduate diplomas in hydrology (IIT Roorkee, India) and environmental management (Maastricht School of Management, Netherlands).
Projects
Enhancing climate resilience in South Asia and China: Predicting precipitation shifts and their impacts for disaster risk reduction and resource security
Building capacities for climate resilient water resources development under climate uncertainty
Floating Treatment Wetland System (FTWS) – Sustainable green technology to remediate polluted surface water bodies in the COVID-19 era
Preparation of Next Generation Leadership in Sustainability: An Approach in the Asia Pacific Region
Graduate Conference on Climate Change and People
Rainwater harvesting for mitigating drought in western Nepal
Recent work
Guidebook: Floating Treatment Wetland System (FTWS)
Policy brief: Management of Urban Lakes: Recommendations from Floating Treatment Wetland System (FTWS) Project
