The Executive Committee of JVS/GWP Nepal represents a multi-disciplinary team with backgrounds in planning, engineering, environmental science, resource economics, law, political science, sociology, Psychology, public administration and management. It consists of the following functionaries:
Mr. Som Nath Poudel- President
Education:
M.E. (Water Resources Engineering)
M.A. (Nepali Literature)
Key Expertise
Water resources development, planning and management
Summary of Qualification and Achievements:
July 2004 – till date: Freelance Consultant, Water Resources Sector; Sep. 2003 – July 2004:Vice Chairman, CTEVT; Dec 2001 – Aug. 2003: Deputy Team Leader, Project Management Consultant Metcalf and Eddy et.al, Melamchi Water Supply Project, Nepal; Aug. 1999 – date: Director, SILT Consultants (P.) Ltd.; Aug. 1997 – July 1999: Executive Secretary, Water and Energy Commission Secretariat; Nov. 1995 –Jul 1997: Deputy Director General, PDMED, DOI (Alter Reinstatement by the Supreme Court); Sept. 1993 - Oct. 1995: Managing Director, EARTH Consults (P.) Ltd.; Dec. 1992 - Nov. 1994: Director, Water Resources and Senior Irrigation & Drainage Engineer, Nepal Consult (P) Ltd.; Jan. 1990 - April 1990: Executive Director/Irrigation Specialist Water and Energy Commission Secretariat; Jan. 1986 - Feb. 1986: Project Manager, Second Hill Irrigation Project (Seti Zone), DOI; Oct. 1983 - Dec. 1985:Project Manager/Project Engineer, Chitwan Irrigation Project;1970 - 1971:Project-in-charge/Team Leader, Chaurjahari Tar Irrigation Project (Rukum), DOI;1986 - 1988: Free Lance Consultant, preparation of technical reports. Important contribution in this period was preparation of Design Guidelines for Surface Irrigation in the Terai and Hills of Nepal, (WECS/ CIWES); Member - Global Water Partnership; Life Member, Nepal Engineers' Association; Birendra – Aiswarya Padak, 2002, Trishakti Patta III, 1996, Gorkha Dakshinbahu III, 1991, Janamat Sangraha Padak, 1979, Shuva Rajyavishek Padak, 1973, and Mahendra Vidya Bhusan, 1970
Mr. Bal Krishna Prasai - Vice President
Education:
MBA 1989 De La Salle University, Philippines
M.Sc. (Zoology) 1981 Tribhuwan University
Key Expertise:
Social Accountability
Summary of Qualification and Achievements:
Principal Social Accountability Practitioner for the CECI PRAN project Strengthening Drinking Water and Sanitation Sector Services through Enhanced Accountability Measures(2011-2012); Anti-corruption Expert, UNDP/NORAD funded Project for a background study on anti-corruption efforts, lesson learned and possible future initiatives for Nepal(2010); Secretary, Institutional Strengthening of CIAA Project(DANIDA, 2001-2003);Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, GoN (2005-2006); Chief Officer, National Vigilance Centre, Anti-Corruption Preventive Programs(2005); Chief District Officer, (Jumla, Dang, Nawalparasi, Saptari, and Banke), Promotion of good governance at local level(1995-2002); Chairperson of steering committee, Rural Access Improvement and Decentralization Project (RAIDP), Ministry of Local Development(WB); Coordinator, UNIDO funded project Enabling Activities on Persistent Organic Pollutants, Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology, GoN.
Mr. Surya Nath Upadhyay - Secretary General
Education:
LLM (London University)
Key Expertise:
Hydropower Development Policy, Water Laws, Water Resources Development and Management, Benefit sharing and Conflict management in water resource sector
Summary of Qualification and Achievements:
Chief Commissioner of Commission IAA 2007; Visiting Faculty, International Law on Water courses, Nepal Engineering College, Pokhara University, Nepal, Permanent Secretary for Ministry of Agriculture(1997), Ministry of Population and Environment and briefly to the Ministry of Commerce (1995) and Ministry of Water Resources, Executive Director appointed by His Majesty the King of Nepal in 1991 for Laws and International Programme Division, (WECS), short-term Water Law Consultant for DAI in Republic of Kyrghyzstan, Swaziland, Sri Lanka and Namibia,USA, and FAO, Rome. Recipient of Trishakti patta (Second Class)
Dr. Upendra Gautam - Treasurer
Education:
PhD (Public Administration) : Panjab University, Chandigarh, India
BA, MA (Political Science): Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu;
Key Expertise:
Institution development
Summary of Qualification and Achievements:
Regional Council Member, GWP South Asia; In the last more than 25 years working as a consulting expert for USAID, the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, FAO, UNDP and other international institutions, he has contributed to institutional and community development in the field of water resources management in general and irrigation management in particular in Nepal, the Philippines, India, China and Guiana. He has been associated with the field of journalism and editing for more than three decades both as an editor and free lance writer. He started his public career in 1975 as a lecturer (later Professor) of rural development and institution building at the Campus of Public Administration, Tribhuvan University and Nepal Engineering College, Pokhara University. He has acted as a founding authority in promoting non-governmental and private organizations in Nepal like Consolidated Management Service Nepal Pvt. Ltd (www.cmsnepal.org), Nepal Engineering College (www.nec.edu.np) , Jalsrot Vikash Sanstha (Water Resources Development Association-www.jvs-nwp.org.np), China Study Center-Nepal (www.cscnepal.org.np) and Farmer-Managed Irrigation System Promotion Trust, Nepal. His training includes Decentralization, Management and Finance, CEDA, Nepal/ Associates in Rural Development, USA 1989 and Mass Media, Local Government Institutions and European Community in Germany, England and Belgium 1981
Mr Sriranjan Lacoul-
Executive Committee Member
Education:
Master of Engineering: McGill, Montreal, Canada-1986 (Scholarship of the CIDA)
Post Graduate Course:
Environment Economics, Harvard University, USA-1999 (Scholarship of USAID)
Key Expertise:
Hydropower Development, Hydropower Policy
Summary of Qualifications:
Mr Lacoul held various positions such as Project Manager at Pancheswar Multipurpose Project; Division Chief at Department of Electricity Development and Policy and Environment Division, Ministry of Water Resources. Likewise, he has worked as Deputy Director General, Privatization Division, Department of Electricity Development and Director General, Department of Electricity Development. He has also experience of working as Division Chief at Program and Monitoring Division, Ministry of Energy, Division Chief (Joint Secretary), Water Resources Division, Water and Energy Commission Secretariat, Energy Division, Water and Energy Commission Secretariat, Policy and Environment Division, Ministry of Energy. He also worked as Secretary for Water and Energy Commission Secretariat and Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers.
Dr. Karuna Onta
- Executive Committee Member
Education:
PhD in Social Psychology
Key Expertise:
Gender Equality and Social Inclusion
Summary of Qualification and Achievements:
Dr. Karuna has experience of nearly three decades working in the field of development in Nepal, India, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Vietnam. She began her career by teaching in the Psychology Department of Tribhuwan University, Kathmandu, Nepal and gradually moved on to non-government sector. She worked for the Johns Hopkins University/Population Communication Services and Academy for Educational Development for twelve years. She worked in the UNICEF Regional Office of South Asia developing Behaviour Change Communication Strategy on promotion of maternal and child health nutrition in the region. She holds a PhD in Social Psychology. Since January 2012, Karuna has been working with United Kingdom, Department for International Development Nepal Office (now known as the British Embassy) in the position of Social Development Advisor in Nepal. She will be worki4yh ng as freelance consultant from December, 2022.
Dr. Karuna is technically strong on multiple social development areas including gender equality and social inclusion, women’s empowerment, security and justice, modern slavery/human trafficking, social protection, social norms, gender-based violence against women, sexual reproductive health/nutrition, policy analysis, safeguarding against sexual exploitation, abuse, harassment. Karuna is a strategic thinker with experience in adaptive programming primarily in program design, qualitative research, monitoring evaluation, preparedness and response activities during humanitarian crisis. She has excellent communication, training and facilitation skills and employing participatory techniques.
Dr. Karuna currently sits on the board of Nepal Public Health Foundation and is a member of Network of Nepalese Psychologists.
Mr. Prakash Gaudel
Executive Committee Member
Education:
M.Sc. (Interdisciplinary Water Resources Management), Pokhara University, 2013
M.Sc. (Environment Science), Kurukshetra University, India, 2009
Key Expertise:
Integrated Water Resources Management, Environmental Management, Climate Change
Summary of Qualification and Achievements:
He worked at WWF-India, New Delhi as an intern from June to August, 2008 and got trained in GIS and Remote Sensing Application. From January to June, 2011, he worked as a Trainee Manager from at JVS/GWP Nepal. He has participated and presented papers in various national and international workshops/conferences in Russia, Thailand and South Asia. His paper entitled Accessibility of the Urban Poor to Safe Water Supply: A Case of Small Town Water Supply Scheme in Nepal is recently published in an edited book -Globalization of Water Governance in South Asia by Routledge Publisher, New Delhi, India. He also prepared a Compendium of Laws related to Conservation and Utilization of Water Resources in Nepal which was published by GWP Nepal/JVS in 2013. His research interests include issues related to transboundary water management, climate change and adaptation, and environmental impact assessments.
Dr. Vijaya Shrestha- Resource Person
Education:
Ph.D. (Rural Sociology)
B.Sc. and M. Sc. (Home Economics)
Key Expertise:
Social development, Water and Sanitation, local governance, Decentralization Expert
Summary of Qualification and Achievements:
MOH-GON, UNFPA/New ERA, (2004-2006); Team Leader, NFHP/SOLUTIONS, Nepal, (2004); Principal Investigator, HELVETAS/Nepal, (2003); Task Manager, World Bank-ITAD, UK, (2002) Consultant, DFID/Nepal, (2000); Evaluation Expert, HELVETAS Nepal, (1997); Team Leader and Social Facilitation Advisor, Department of Water Supply & Sewerage, MHPP, Nepal, (1997-2001); Community Development, ADB Manila, January - March 1996; Consultant, UNICEF, Nepal, (1994); Advisor, Council for Tribal and Rural Development (CTRD) Orissa, India, (1993-1994); Health Consultant, WHO, Western Pacific Region, Manila, (1992); Contribution in formulation of policy in the area of health water supply, reproduction health, forestry and women development as short-term consultant and/or Member of Task Force/Advisor/Board Member to National Planning Commission (1986), National Commission on Population (1983-1985)
Dr. Krishna Prasad Poudel - Resource Person
Education:
Ph.D. in Hydraulic and Sediment Engineering UNESCO-IHE and Wageningen University, the Netherlands in 2010
M.Sc. - Hydraulic Engineering, UNESCO-IHE, the Netherlands, in 2002
BE (Civil Engineering), University of Roorkee (now IIT Roorkee), India in 1989
Key Expertise:
Planning, design, construction monitoring and management of irrigation and river engineering works in Nepal
Summary of Qualification:
In February 1990, he joined the Department of Irrigation under the Ministry of Water Resources, Government of Nepal. From 1990 till 2003, he worked at different district irrigation offices and on large scale irrigation schemes. His works included: collection and analysis of hydrological and meteorological data, preparation of feasibility assessment reports, design of the schemes and preparation of bidding documents, institutional development work of Water Users Associations, construction management and quality control, training of the farmers for scheme operation and maintenance, financial management and coordination with other district agencies working in the field of water and agriculture.Since 2008, Mr. Paudel as a senior consultant Water Resources Engineer has been providing input in the design and construction management related assignments especially of water and energy sectors. His major works include the hydraulic modelling, sediment transport analysis and hydraulic design of Rani JamaraKulariya Irrigation Project (38,300 ha); analysis and design review of sediment removal facilities for Sikta Irrigation Project (43,766 ha) and Bagmati Irrigation Project (30,000 ha); hydrodynamic modelling of 142 km stretch of Karnali River for impact assessment due to 900 MW peaking hydropower plant; and design review of river engineering works in the Mahakali river for protection of Darchula district headquarter.