AIT – SEI Special Session at Groundwater Symposium 2024

The School of Engineering and Technology (SET) at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), in collaboration with the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI Asia Center), Sustainable Mekong Research Network (SUMERNET), and the Center of Research for Environment, Energy, and Water (CREEW), conducted a successful special session during the Groundwater Symposium 2024 in Kathmandu, Nepal, on March 18, 2024.

The special session served as a platform for knowledge exchange, fostering dialogue among experts and stakeholders to advance solutions for evidence-based groundwater development management in the face of evolving challenges.

Chaired by Dr. Mohana Sundaram Shanmugam, Assistant Professor, AIT and moderated by Dr. Saurav KC, Deputy Executive Director, CREEW and WEM-AIT alumnus, the session aimed to enhance groundwater governance and management in Southeast Asia through evidence-based decision-making. Prof. Sangam Shrestha, Dean of SET/AIT, kick-started the session with a video message emphasizing the research collaboration’s focus on linking groundwater insights to policy for improved governance. Dr. Thanapon Piman, Senior Research Fellow at the SEI Asia Center in Thailand, provided insights into collaborative initiatives for evidence-based decision-making in groundwater management across Southeast Asian countries.

The special session featured four different research initiatives presented by Dr. Sanjiv Neupane, CEO of Smartphone 4 Water (S4W), Nepal, and WEM-AIT alumnus on the title “Mapping Groundwater Resilience to Climate Change and Human Development in Asian Cities”, Dr. Pragya Pradhan, Senior Research Associate at Global Water and Sanitation Center (GWSC), AIT on the title “Assessing Groundwater Infrastructure Sustainability in the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) of Thailand: A Case of Tak SEZ”, Dr. Saurav KC on the title “Outlook of Groundwater Governance in Lower Mekong Region”, and Mr. Tungish Uprety, a master’s degree student of the WEM, AIT on the title “A Generic Framework for Assessing the State of Transboundary Groundwater Governance in Internationally Shared Aquifer Systems”.

The session also marked the soft launch of the Groundwater Governance Assessment Tool (GGAT 1.0), a joint initiative between AIT and CREEW. Dr. Mohana Sundaram Shanmugam, in his closing remarks, highlighted the collaborative efforts between AIT, SEI, and CREEW, appreciating the interactive participation of all attendees. Dr. Mohana expressed optimism for future research endeavors and cooperation for sustainable groundwater management.

More than 150 participants attended the symposium under the theme “Challenges and Opportunities for Sustainable Development and Management of Groundwater”, organized by the Center of Research for Environment, Energy, and Water (CREEW), Small Earth Nepal (SEN), and Kathmandu Valley Water Supply Management Board (KVSWMB) with multiple national and international partners.