From 29th to 31st December 2025, The Small Earth Nepal (SEN) participated in the International Conference on WET-WAR 2025, the first international conference focused on wetland ecosystems for sustainable development organized by the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Patna, India.
We were honored to have our Founding President, Dr. Dhiraj Pradhananga, delivered a keynote presentation. Dr. Pradhananga addressed the critical challenges of mountain ecosystems and glacier preservation. He highlighted the severe scarcity of data and the limitation of resources in the region, emphasizing the urgent need for collaborative data gathering and sharing to secure a better future for our shared ecosystems.
The SEN delegation included Ashok Ghimire, Ayaswori Byanju, Susa Manandhar, Sushant Dhital, Suvekshya Pandey, Mega Maskey, Namrata Mishra, Nita Khatri, and Bandana Koirala. Ms. Ayaswori Byanju was awarded for her outstanding presentation on “Performance Evaluation of Floating Treatment Wetlands for Nutrient and Pollutant Removal in Eutrophic Urban Water Bodies”, showcasing the research capability of SEN and their team.
A major highlight was the UNESCO session, facilitated by Dr. Bhanu Neupane, an advisor to UNESCO. This session featured a remarkable global perspective with students representing 10 countries- Bangladesh, Fiji, Guatemala, India, Kenya, Nepal, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea (PNG), Syria and Yemen. These speeches will contribute to the 2027 UN World Water Development Report on Water and Health, ensuring that youth voices are central to global water policy.
During the event, the SEN team also had a meeting with Prof. Dr. Ramakar Jha, Director of NIT Patna. The discussion centered on identifying collaborative research topics, the need for awareness-driven conferences, and the development of knowledge-sharing platforms. Prof. Jha also engaged with our students sharing valuable insights into various academic programs and research opportunities available in India and Nepal.
These engagements reflect SEN’s ongoing commitment to fostering international collaboration, bridging the gap between science and policy, and empowering the next generation of environmental leaders to address the world’s most pressing water resource challenges.
