The Small Earth Nepal (SEN) in collaboration with the Central Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (CDHM), Tribhuvan University (TU); University of Rhode Island (URI), and UNESCO Kathmandu, organized a talk program “Hydrologic responses to extreme events-from flood to cascading hazards” on 14 August 2023 at CDHM, Kirtipur, Kathmandu by Prof. Dr. Soni M. Pradhanang, Department of Geosciences, URI. Prof. Pradhanang is a researcher focused on the development of decision-support systems for the management of water resources at different scales and contexts. The program was attended by 42 individuals including professors, graduate students, and research scholars who gained insights in modeling and research areas.
Prof. Pradhanang shared her recent work on the generation, transformation, and transport of sediments and nutrients in the watershed under land use and climate change. She focused on how her team used monitoring and modeling methods to understand complex processes, evaluate the reliability and vulnerability of water infrastructure, and develop guidelines to protect the ecosystem. She shared her team work on international projects on climate change impacts on water resources in South Asia to link with communities for their safeguarding.
The talk program discussed the hydrological response to climate change and use of effective models and data to understand the hydrological processes in Nepal taking into consideration of possible increase of streamflow in the future resulting in extreme events and cascading hazards. Prof. Pradhanang emphasized the importance of local support and the utilization of available technology for research.
