KATHMANDU, DECEMBER 29
Keeping in mind the growing impacts of climate change in Nepal, the Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) organized an Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) Research Findings Sharing Symposium in Kathmandu on Tuesday.
The event was hosted by the Nepal Climate Change Knowledge Management Centre (NCCKMC) and the Science and Technology Information Management System Centre (STISC), in collaboration with NAST under the EbA Research Grants Project.
In her welcome remarks, Dr. Bimala Devi Devkota, Chief of STISC at NAST, said that 40 research grants had been awarded to scholars, researchers, and academicians to enhance their knowledge and capacity in ecosystem-based adaptation to climate change.
Professor Dr. Rejina Maskey, member of the Research Grants Selection Committee, said that among 96 applicants, 40 were selected to conduct research in various areas affected by climate change. Dr. Pramod Kumar Jha, an academician connecting virtually from Sydney, Australia, and Dr. Madan Lal Shrestha, a steering committee member, emphasized the importance of making the data portal widely accessible as a resource center for researchers and practitioners.
In his closing remarks, Dr. Dilip Subba, Vice-Chancellor of NAST, congratulated all grant recipients and highlighted the symposium as a significant milestone in advancing climate change research in Nepal.
Technical Session I
The first technical session featured 11 presenters and was chaired by Dr. Rejina Maskey, alloted 10 minutes per presenters. Presentations included:
PhD candidate Sanu Raja Maharjan on "Soil Characteristics and Soil Respiration in Different Forest Types of Phulchoki, Central Nepal."
Hare Ram Devkota on "Management of Geosmin Contamination in Fish Food from Eutrophic Environments."
Sushila Rijal on "Ecosystem Management and Climate Change Adaptation Options in Community-Managed Forests of Nepal."
Krishna Prasad Sigdel on "Geospatial Analysis of Wetland Dynamics and Vulnerability Assessment of Major Wetlands in Pokhara Valley."
Suraj Prasad Bist on "Assessment of Climate-Induced Water Vulnerability and Adaptation of Pine and Natural Mixed Community Forest Users in the Far Western Region of Nepal."
Anup Pudasaini on "Evaluating Strategies for Climate-Resilient Agriculture: Impacts of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi and Phosphorus Regimes on Soil Nutrient Availability for Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) Growth and Yield."
Young researcher Ojaswee Amgain on "Assessing the Socio-Economic and Environmental Performance of Agroforestry-Based Integrated Farming Systems in Kalinchowk Rural Municipality, Dolakha District."
Bardi Bhattrai on "Treeline Dynamics and Its Impact on Carbon Storage."
Prakriti Gauli on "Land Use and Land Cover Change Detection and Prediction Based on Multi-Scenario Simulation: A Case Study from Anbu Khaireni Municipality, Tanahu District."
Urmila Dhami on "Mycorrhizae in Rice Landraces Across Different Agro-Ecological Zones Under Water Stress in Far-Western Nepal."
Pooja Pokharel on "Documentation of Ethno-Biologically Important Forest-Based Bio-Resources in Jiri Municipality, Dolakha District."
Technical Session II
The second technical session, conducted online and chaired virtually by Dr. Pramod Kumar Jha, allotted 10 minutes per presenter. Presentations included:
Kunju Dhakal on "Identification, Prioritization, and Mapping of Socio-Ecological Factors of Ecosystem Services in Meghauli, Chitwan."
Archana Paudel on "Assessment of Foraging Activity and the Effect of Bee Pollination on Rapeseed Production in Chitwan."
Soni Gautam on "AI-Driven Rice Leaf Disease Detection: A Precision Agriculture Approach to Climate Adaptation in Nepal."
Taken Prasad Acharya on "Estimation of Willingness to Pay for Kupindedaha Lake, Salyan, Nepal."
Prakriti Rajbhandari on "Bird and Tree Diversity in Gokarna Forest, an Urban Forest in Kathmandu."
Snakalpa Neupane on "Perception of Local Communities in Lapilang, Dolakha on Biodiversity, Ecosystem Services, and Their Role in Reducing Climate Vulnerability."
The symposium provided a platform for sharing cutting-edge research on climate adaptation strategies and emphasized the importance of knowledge dissemination to inform policy, enhance community resilience, and foster sustainable ecosystem management in Nepal.
The event was hosted by Senior Scientific Officer Pawan Kumar Neupane.
