Empowering Mountain Communities through Fog Harvesting for Sustainable Water Management Team Members
Dr. Menuka Maharjan
Team Leader
Dr. Maharjan has more than 14 years' experience in the field of soil and water resources, climate change, and disaster management. Having PhD degree from the University of Göttingen, Germany. she has received prestigious fellowships, i.e., Fulbright Visiting Scholar (USA) for her post-doctoral research, DAAD (Germany), and Erasmus Mundus PhD fellowship (European Union) and various international grants from IKI (Germany), APN (Japan), SANDEE/ICIMOD, IFS (Sweden), DFID (UK), DANIDA (Denmark), etc.
Niranjan Bista
Project Manager
Currently serving as the Deputy Director at The Small Earth Nepal (SEN), Mr. Bista has over 15 years of experience in project monitoring and evaluation, project reporting, partner and donor communication, and coordination of multi-stakeholder meetings and workshops. He is experienced in supervising field-based project activities, coordinating field data collection, managing project knowledge products, and supporting project budget planning. He has also designed and coordinated workshops, seminars, panel discussions, and exhibitions, while ensuring proper documentation and dissemination of knowledge generated through these events.
Dr. Nirina Khadgi
Project Coordinator
Dr. Khadgi is an experienced environmental scientist with extensive expertise in academia, research, environmental assessment, and project management. She has a strong academic background in Environmental Science, with education and research experience in Nepal, China, and Germany. Dr. Khadgi is a recipient of the Green Talents Award 2018, awarded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), Germany, in recognition of her research on photocatalysis using nanomaterials. She has successfully led and managed several academic, research, and environmental initiatives, including an awareness program on predatory academic practices in South Asia funded by the Inter-Academy Partnership, and a sustainable drainage system project funded by the Nepal Academy of Science and Technology. Her proactive approach, strong coordination skills, and ability to communicate across diverse groups have contributed to successful outcomes across a range of environmental and research-based projects.
HG/Er. Sabina Khatri
Watershed and Climate Change Expert
Sabina Khatri is involved as Water and Climate Expert in the Project. She is a seasoned hydrogeologist and environmental professional with over eight years of experience and global outreach in water resource management, specialising in groundwater assessment and sustainability. With a strong academic foundation in Europe and Nepal, and diverse experience spanning public, private, academic, and international sectors, she combines scientific expertise with practical solutions to address complex hydrogeological challenges. Recipient of various awards and honours like Beahrs Environmental Leadership Program 2024, the AvH (Alexander von Humboldt)Ä><f Fellowship 2022-2023, The World Bank, Max-Thabiso Edkins Climate Ambassador 2023, Best Performer, Science Diplomacy South Asia, Global Young Academy, Germany, 2020, DAAD Young Ambassador 2018-21, Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD) Scholarship, 2013-15. Skilled in stakeholder engagement, project management, and data-driven decision-making, Sabina is committed to advancing research and practical solutions that enhance groundwater security and climate resilience.
Dr. Akhanda Raj Upreti
Water Treatment Specialist
He is serving as the Professional Lead and Managing Director at Himalayan Research Forum Nepal (HRFN). A passionate environmental professional with a PhD in Environmental Science and Engineering, he has worked on diverse projects, including hydropower, irrigation, wastewater management, roads, and urban development to ensure environmental and social safeguard compliance. As an Environmental Consultant for the World Bank, he has supported major projects like the Strategic Road Construction and Transport Improvement Project (SRCTIP) and the Accelerating Nepal's Regional Transport and Trade Connectivity (ACCESS) project. Through HRFN, he has also led environmental and social assessments and monitoring for the Rani Jamara Kulariya Irrigation Project. Currently, he is coordinating various Asian Development Bank (ADB) and World Bank-funded projects across Nepal, Bhutan, Cambodia, and Bangladesh as a Senior Environmental Specialist.
The Project
