Title : Professor
Name : Sangam Shrestha
FoS : Water Engineering and Management
Location : WR 109, WEM Building
Phone : +66 (2) 524 6055
Fax : +66 (2) 524 6425
Email : sangam@ait.ac.th

Dr. Sangam Shrestha is a Professor of Water Engineering and Management program at the Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand. Dr. Shrestha is also a Visiting Professor of Beijing Normal University in China, University of Yamanashi, Japan, National University of Laos, and SEI Associate of Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI).

His research interests are within the field of hydrology and water resources including, climate change impact assessment and adaptation in the water, integrated water resources management and groundwater assessment and management.

Dr. Shrestha has published more than 200 papers in peer-reviewed international journals and presented more than 100 conference papers ranging from hydrological modelling to climate change impacts and adaptation in the water sector. Dr. Shrestha has been awarded ‘Distinguished Research Leader Award’ in 2015 and 2019 at AIT. Recently, he has been named as one of the world’s top climate scientists in the ‘Reuters Hot List’ that identifies and ranks 1,000 climate academics according to how influential they are. Similarly, since 2020, his name has appeared in the top 2% list of scientists for research impact based on the most recent single year achievement in a paper published by Stanford University researchers in PLoS Biology.

Since November 2022, Dr. Shrestha has also served as Co-Director of Global Water & Sanitation Center (GWSC) which aims to accelerate access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) for all in Asia by 2030, with an endowment of US$ 8.1 Million Grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND
  1. Diploma, Connection and Flows: Water, Energy and Digital Information in the Global South, Brown University, USA (July 2013)
  2. Ph.D. in Integrated River Basin Management (IRBM), University of Yamanashi, Japan (2007)
  3. M.Sc. in Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM), Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand (2004)
  4. M.Sc. in Agriculture (1 year, Major: Soil Science), Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science, Tribhuvan University, Nepal (2002)

RESEARCH INTERESTS
His research interests are Research and development areas include, but not limited to climate change and adaptation in water, integrated water resources management and groundwater development and management.

TEACHING
  1. CE74.18: Climate Change and Water Resources
  2. CE74.13: Water Resources Systems
  3. CE74.15: Research Design and Experimental Methods

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
Bhatta, B., Shrestha, S., Shrestha, P. K., & Talchabhadel, R. (2019). Evaluation and application of a SWAT model to assess the climate change impact on the hydrology of the Himalayan River Basin, Catena, 181: 104082. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2019.104082

Shrestha, S., Bhatta, B., Shrestha, M., & Shrestha, P. K. (2018). Integrated assessment of the climate and landuse change impact on hydrology and water quality in the Songkhram River Basin, Thailand, Science of the Total Environment, 643: 1610-1622. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.06.306

Pinto, D., Shrestha, S., Babel, M.S. et al. (2017) Delineation of groundwater potential zones in the Comoro watershed, Timor Leste using GIS, remote sensing and analytic hierarchy process (AHP) technique, Applied Water Science, 7: 503–519. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13201-015-0270-6

Shrestha, S., Kazama, F. (2007). Assessment of surface water quality using multivariate statistical techniques: a case study of the Fuji River basin, Japan, Environmental Modelling and Software, 22 (4):464-475. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsoft.2006.02.001

Shrestha, S., Semkuyu, D. J., & Pandey, V. P. (2016). Assessment of groundwater vulnerability and risk to pollution in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal, Science of the Total Environment, 556: 23-35. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.03.021

ONGOING AND COMPLETED PROJECTS
  1. Capacity building for Moeyingyi wetland conservation in Myanmar in the context of  climate change
    • Funding: Ramsar Convention Secretariat, Switzerland and Ministry of Foreign Affairs, JapanPeriod: Jan 2014- May 2015, Total Budget: US$ 42,000, Role: PI
  2. Hydrology Measurement and Analysis
    • Funding: Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)Period: October 2013- September 2014, Total Budget: US$ 56,800, Role: PI
  3. Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN)
    • Funding: United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), Period: Oct 2013 – June 2015, Total Budget: US$ 130,000, Role: PI (with Prof. Mukand S. Babel, Dr. Rajendra Shrestha)
  4. Capacity Development on Adaptation and Disaster Management of the Water Section related to Climate Change
    • Funding: Wageningen University, the Netherlands. Period: October 2012 – December 2015, Total Budget: Euro 66,560, Role: Member
  5. Capacity Development of Higher Education on IWRM at CUET
    • Funding: UNESCO-IHE, the Netherlands.Period:  January 2011 – December 2016, Total Budget:           Euro 95,407, Role: Member
  6. Addressing non-economic losses and damages associated with climate change: Learning from the recent past extreme climatic events for future planning
    • Funding: Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research (APN)Period: July 2014 – June 2016, Total Budget: US$80,000, Role: Collaborator
  7. Enhancing the Groundwater Management Capacity in Asian Cities through the Development and Application of Groundwater Sustainability Index in the Context of Global Change.
    • Funding: Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research (APN)Period: June 2013 – May 2014, Total Budget: US$42,000, Role: PI
  8. Policy Brief Writeshop for Researchers: An Approach to Promote Greater Science-Policy Interfacing in South Asia.
    • Funding: Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research (APN)Period: June 2013 – May 2014 , Total Budget: US$36,000, Role: Collaborator
  9. Understanding and Quantifying the Water-Energy-Carbon Nexus for Low Carbon Development in Asian Cities.
    • Funding: Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research (APN)Period: June 2013 – May 2015, Total Budget: US$80,000, Role: Co-PI
  10. SEA-EU-NET 2 – EU-ASEAN S&T cooperation to jointly tackle societal challenges.
    • Funding: The International Bureau of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BLR), GermanyPeriod: December 2012 – January 2016, Total Budget: Euro 221,000, Role: Co-PI
  11. Comparative research of groundwater management in the coastal areas in Southeast Asia.
    • Funding: Asian Development Bank (ADB) and UNESCO-IHE.  Period: October 2012 – October 2014, Total Budget: US$600,000 Role: Facilitator
  12. Assessment of water availability and demand in Thailand in consideration of climate change.
    • Funding: Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES)Period: September 2012 – August 2013, Total Budget: US$24,000, Role: PI
  13. Water interventions for improving smallholder farming and rural livelihoods in Asia and the Pacific.
    • Funding: Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)Period: July 2012- June 2013, Total Budget: USD 80,124, Role: Member
  14. Curriculum Development for an Undergraduate Program in Water Resources and Environmental Engineering in Kandahar University, Afghanistan.
    • Funding: Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)Period: September 2012 – February 2013, Total Budget: CAD$98,000, Role: PI
  15. Facilitating the Bi-Regional EU-ASEAN Science and Technology Dialogue SEA-EU-NET Partners in Science- European Union
    • Funding: The International Bureau of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BLR), GermanyPeriod: 2011-2012 Total Budget: Euro 53,286, Role: CoPI
  16. Establishment of overseas collaboration centre at Asian Institute of Technology (OCC-UY/AIT):
    • Funding: University of Yamanashi, JapanTotal Budget: First phase: US$22,632, Second Phase: US$31,832, Third Phase: US$40,733, Role: PI
  17. Estimation of water footprint and virtual water flow related to the consumption of agricultural products
    1. Funding: Center of Research for Environment Energy and Water (CREEW), Nepal     Total Budget: US$5000; Role: PI
  18. Climate change and adaptation to water scarcity: Strategies for integrated water and landuse management to enhance the resilience of rural communities in the Gangetic Basin
    • Funding: Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) – Strategic Fund, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES), JapanTotal Budget: US$10,000; Role: PI
  19. Policy learning: linking development policy and climate change in Finland’s relations with developing countries
    • Funding: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Finland; Partner: Finnish Environment Institute & Asian Institute of Technology;Total Budget: Euro 39,000; Role:  PI
  20. University of Yamanashi Young Researcher Grant (US$3,000) (2005-2006) to conduct research on “Assessment and redesign of water quality monitoring stations of Fuji river basin, Japan”. (Principle Investigator)

AWARDS AND HONORS
  1. World’s top climate scientists (out of 1,000 climate academics) in the ‘Reuters Hot List’ in 2021.
  2. Top 2% list of scientists for research impact based on the most recent single year (2019, 2020, 2021 & 2023) achievement in a paper published by Stanford University researchers in PLOS Biology.
  3. Awarded “AIT Distinguished Researcher Awards” for 2019 by Asian Institute of Technology.
  4. Awarded “Groundwater Award 2019” for significant contribution in groundwater research in Nepal by Nepal-National Water Week 2019.
  5. Awarded “AIT Distinguished Researcher Awards” for 2015 by Asian Institute of Technology.
  6. Designated as “NPA Ambassador for the Nepal PhD Association (NPA) International Chapter in Thailand.”
  7. Nominated (among 3 top scientist) for ‘Young Scientist Award 2011’ by Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST).
  8. The Takeda Techno-Entrepreneurship Award (2007) by The Takeda Foundation, Japan for techno-entrepreneurial achievement for world environmental well-being.
  9. Best Full Paper Award, the 3rd IWA Young Researcher Conference (YRC2006) for the paper entitled ‘Development of land use export coefficients for the modeling of non-point source pollution loads in Fuji River basin, Japan’.
  10. AIT –DANIDA full scholarship (2002-2004) to pursue Master of Science in Integrated Water Resources Management in Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand.
  11. Tribhuvan University (Nepal) Merit Scholarship (1997-2000) to pursue Bachelor of Science in Agriculture in Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science, Nepal.

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
  1. Member, World Association of Soil and Water Conservation (WAWSC)
  2. Member, American Geophysical Union (AGU)
  3. Member, International Association of Hydrological Sciences (IAHS)
  4. Member, International Water Association (IWA)
  5. Member, Japan Society of Civil Engineers (JSCE)

RESEARCH KEYWORDS
Climate Change and Adaptation, Integrated Water Resources Management, Hydrology and Water Quality Modelling, Groundwater Development and Management, Sustainable Water Management Policy