Stefan Uhlenbrook, Prof. Dr., 
Strategic Program Director, Water, Food and Ecosystem
International Water Management Institute (IWMI), Rome Office, ITALY

Professor Stefan Uhlenbrook’ s main expertise includes water and sustainability assessments, hydrological process research and water resources management with focus on developing solutions for pressing water challenges. He is a renowned academic and frequently invited speaker at high-level meetings worldwide. He has led many research and development projects that have demonstrated the impact of global changes on water cycle dynamics in different hydro-climatic regions worldwide, and they provided effective solutions to address these challenges. He is experienced on translating science-based knowledge to effective policies and strategies that contribute to environmental, economic and societal sustainability (i.e. Agenda 2030). Recently, he has enlarged his interest in food production system transformations to provide healthy and nutritious food for all and the central role of water and ecosystems.

Stefan Uhlenbrook is the Strategic Program Director Water, Food and Ecosystems at IWMI, Colombo, Sri Lanka. Before he was the Coordinator of the UNESCO World Water Assessment Programme (WWAP) and the Director of the UNESCO Programme Office on Global Water Assessment in Perugia, Italy (2015-2019). He previously worked at the UNESCO Institute for Water Education (now IHE Delft), as Professor of Hydrology (since 2005), Deputy Director (Vice-Rector) for Academic and Student Affairs (2000-2014) and Director a.i. (acting Rector; 2014-2015). Stefan obtained his PhD (1999) and habilitation (2003) in Hydrology at the University of Freiburg.

With a background in hydraulics, hydrology and mechanics (BE degree) and hydroinformatics (MSc and PhD degrees), Dr. Maskey developed expertise in modelling water resources systems and application of models for floods, droughts and climate change impact assessment. He is currently working as an Associate Professor of Hydrology & Water Resources at IHE Delft Institute for Water Education, the Netherlands. His working experience ranges from research/research supervision and teaching (graduate/undergraduate) to modelling systems development and professional civil engineering designs. His key areas of expertise and interest are process-based distributed hydrological modeling, flood and drought forecasting, snow/glaciers modeling, uncertainty analysis and climate change impacts and adaptation at a river basin scale. He has worked with a large number of river basins, including Mekong, Yellow, Yangtze, Koshi, Bagmati, Red River and Karkheh (Asia), Aral Sea Basin (Central Asia), Loire and Vit Rivers (Europe), Limpopo, Blue Nile, Pangani and Incomati, Niger, Rufiji (Africa) and a number of small catchments in Africa, Asia and Europe.Dr. Masley is an associate editor of the Journal of Hydrology and the Journal of Flood Risk Management. He (co-)chairs the Mountain Hydrology Working Group of IAHS Panta Rhei.

 Rajan Parajuli currently serves as the Resident Representative for Population Media Center in Nepal. Rajan is a prominent journalist, media trainer, and communication activist in Nepal. For several years he has worked in radio and television production, organizing mass awareness campaigns in poor and marginalized communities, and training young journalists of Nepal on reporting, program designing, and production management in different socio-political, health, and gender issues. As a PMC Trainer, he has also trained creative teams in the PMC methodology in Vietnam, India, and Zambia. He has more than 17 years of experience in grant management, SBCC campaigns, and training for local journalists. Rajan holds a Master’s degree in Mass Communication and Journalism as well as a Master’s degree in Gender Studies.

Founder and Curator of the Story Cycle. British Council International Climate Champion 2011

Saurav Dhakal is a Media practitioner, experienced in visual media and British Council Climate Champion who travelled 1555 km across the Great Himalayas. His recent continued effort in Sustainable mobility has highlighted and brought it into limelight.

Dr. Dhruba Raj Pant holds a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Development Sociology from Wageningen University. Currently, he works as an independent Researcher/Consultant and a Member of Advisory Committee of Ph.D. student of University of Agricultural and Forestry, Rampur, Chitwan, Nepal. He has more than 40 years of working experience as administrator, researcher and consultant for Government and International Agencies. In the past, he has worked as Head of the Nepal Office for International Water Management Institute. Furthermore, he has experience in consulting services to Asian Development Bank, World BanK, GTZ, ITDG, SNV in the area of Sustainable Development, Land and Water Resource Development and Environmental Management. Regarding academic involvement, he has also worked as Program Coordinator of Masters Program in Natural Resource Management of Nepal Engineering College in the past.

Dr. Gobinda Basnet pursued his PhD in Environmental Anthropology from the University of Georgia, Athens, USA, in 2007 and MSc in Ecological Agriculture from Wageningen Agricultural University, the Netherlands  in 1994. Currently, he is working as an Independent Consultant in the fields of environmental conservation, water resources management, biodiversity conservation, climate change, and agriculture development in policy analysis, programme development, implementation and evaluation. Coming from Solukhumbu district, he has worked extensively in remote areas of Nepal. His research focuses on dynamics of water resource management and environmental conservation. 

Khem Raj Dahal works as a Professor of Agronomy at the Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science, Tribhuvan University with 34 years of teaching and research experience on diversified fields and subjects related to agriculture, ranging from principles and practices of crop production to organic agriculture, farming system and sustainable agriculture, and guiding about two dozens of postgraduate graduate students. Currently, he is serving as the Co-Investigator & Coordinating Partner in the South Asian Nitrogen Hub Project of the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology of the Natural Environment Research Centre of the UKRI GCRF, UK. In the past years, he has served as the Head of the Department of Postgraduate Program (Agronomy), Project Leader, Principle Investigator, Collaborator, as well as a coordinator in various research projects focused on organic agriculture, climate change, food security, and biodiversity.

Dr. Manohara Khadka is Senior Researcher and Country Representative, International Water Management Institute (IWMI) -Nepal. Trained in forestry, management of natural resources and sustainable agriculture, and development studies, she brings over 25 years experiences in development, research and policy deliberation. Her main expertise includes community forestry, natural resources management, rural livelihoods, development cooperation, program management, and social science applied research in water resources management, climate change, biodiversity, agrarian livelihoods, gender, social inclusion, policies and institutions in natural resources management. Prior to IWMI, she was the Natural Resource Management (NRM) Portfolio Manager and Senior Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) Advisor, Embassy of Switzerland, SDC Nepal.  She served as NRM and Gender Specialist at ICIMOD and worked in Hindu-Kush Himalayan region.