Chandra Lal Pandey, Senior Research Fellow

Chandra Lal Pandey, PhD is a Senior Research Fellow at Southasia Institute for Advanced Studies. He is an Associate Professor at the Department of Development Studies, School of Arts, Kathmandu University and an Adjunct Professor of Chandigarh University, India. He earned his PhD and Post Doctorate in Political Science and Public Policy primarily focusing on climate change governance from the University of Waikato, New Zealand. He has diverse international working experiences of more than two decades in research and teaching which provides him a wide knowledge base and flexible perspectives. He has an extensive research and teaching experiences in the domains of public policy, urban studies, community development, climate change adaptation, flood and disaster management and sustainable development. He has led a number of research projects focusing on the crosscutting themes of inclusive and integrated urban governance/development/planning, transboundary water; climate adaptive flood and disaster resilient communities; capacity building of federal, provincial and local government institutions, urban water security, and sustainable urban development.

He co-edited and authored a number of books including the Environmental Security in the Asia-Pacific and Why REDD will Fail.  He has published a large number of research articles in the high impact factor, leading international peer-reviewed journals. He supervises Masters, MPhil and PhD scholars in the areas of his expertise and also serves as a reviewer and an editor for a number of top-notch international peer-reviewed journals. He has also served as the national team leader for many projects funded by international agencies, UN agencies and USAID. His most recent peer-reviewed publications include: Challenges and Prospects of Flood Early Warning Systems: A Study of Narayani Basin (2023), Transboundary Flood Resilience: Insights from Narayani and Mahakali Basins (2023) and Capturing the Role of Civil Society for Urban Sustainability in Nepal (2023).

Current Research Projects

• Urban FutureScape Pilot/Hamro Sahar (Nepal)
• Transboundary Flood Resilience Project in South Asia (Nepal, India, Bangladesh)
• Improving Climate and Disaster Resilience of Communities at Risk in Kamala River Basin (Nepal)
• Co-Constructing ‘Neighbourhoods fit for Diverse Young People’: Civic Media Technologies for Equitable Urban Governance (Nepal, India)

PhD Supervisions (Selected)

• Chief Supervisor of PhD research of Ms Gyanu Maskey along with Prof. Roshan Man Bajracharya on Water Insecurity in the Era of Urbanization and Climate Change: Insights from Dharan and Dhulikhel, Nepal.
• Chief Supervisor of PhD research of Ms Goma Sigdel along with Dr. Reshma Shrestha on Climate and Flood Resiliency: A Study of the Riverine Communities of Kamala River Basin.
• Chief Supervisor of PhD research of Mr Pitambar Aryal along with Prof. Amod Kumar Poudyal on Climate Induced Disasters and Consequences on Public Health: A Study in Helambu and Melamchi Municipalities, Sindhupalchok, Nepal
• Supervision of many other PhD scholars and a large number of Master’s theses.

Selected Publications:

A) Peer-Reviewed Articles

• Pandey, C.L. (2024). Climate Change-Induced Livelihood Insecurity in Naryani-Gandak Basin of Nepal. Bharatpur Pragya. Vol. 2 (1): 16-32.
• Pandey, C. L. 2023. Capturing the Role of Civil Society for Urban Sustainability. International Journal of Politics, Culture and Society. Vol. 36: 349-365.  
• Pandey, C. L. & Basnet, A. 2023. Challenges and Prospects of Flood Early Warning Systems: A Study of Narayani Basin. Asian Journal of Water, Environment and Pollution. Vol. 20 (1): 17-24.
• Maskey, G. Pandey, C. L. & Giri, M. 2023. Water Scarcity and Excess: Water Insecurity in Cities of Nepal. Water Supply. Vol. 23 (4): 1544-1556.
• Pandey, C. L. Joseph, J. Deshar, R & Niraula, P. 2023. Transboundary Flood Resilience: Insights from Narayani and Mahakali Basins. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction. Vol. 86.
• Pandey, C. and Basnet, A. (2022). “Managing Disasters Integrating Traditional Knowledge and Scientific Knowledge Systems: A Study from Narayani Basin, Nepal”, Disaster Prevention and Management. Vol. 31(4): 361-373.
• Pandey, C. and Dahal, N. (2022). Rethinking Climate Diplomacy Gains Strategic Benefits to Nepal. Journal of Foreign Affairs. Vol. 2 (1): 69-88.
• Pandey, C. L. 2021. Managing Urban Water Security: Challenges and Prospects in Nepal. Environment Development and Sustainability. Vol. 23 (1): 241-257.
• McManus, P. Pandey, C.L., Shrestha, K., Ojha, H. & Shrestha, S. (2021). Climate Change and Equitable Urban Water Management: Critical Urban Water Zones (CUWZs) in Nepal and Beyond. Local Environment: The International Journal of Justice and Sustainability. Vol. 26 (4): 431-447.
• Acharya, S. Pathak, K. Pandey, C. L. 2021. Does High-Value Agriculture Build Resilient Livelihood? Insights from the Study of Cardamom and Vegetable Farmers of Nepal. Journal of Forest and Livelihood. Vol. 20 (1): 1-15.

B) Books and Chapters

• DeShazo, J. Pandey, C. L. & Smith, Z. (2016). Why REDD will Fail. New York: Routledge.
• Watson, I & Pandey, C. L. (Eds). (2015). Environmental Security in the Asia Pacific. New York: Palgrave.
• Pandey, C. (2011). Impact of Nepalese Domestic Politics on Nepal-Indo Foreign Relations. Saarbruken, Germany: LAP.
• Pandey, C. L., Luitel, B. & Gurung, L. (July 2022). “School and University Closures in COVID-19: Impacts on Educational Processes and Systems.” In The Revelation of the Consequences of COVID- 19 Pandemic and Exploration of Socio-cultural Responses, edited by U. Rana & J. Govender, chapter 21. Florida: CRS Press/Apple Academic Press-Taylor and Francis Group.
• Pandey, C. L. , Joseph, J. & Chepe, S. (2021). “Narayani to Gandak: Trajectories of Transboundary Water Governance”. In Nepal’s Foreign Policy & Emerging Global Trends, edited by M. K. Shrestha, P. Jaiswal & M.B. Poudel, pp. 265-284. New Delhi: G. B. Books.
• Maskey, G., Pandey, C. L. & Khatri, D. (2021). “Policy and Institutional Aspects of Water Management in Dhulikhel. In Dhulikhel’s Journey towards Water Security: Insights for Policy and Practice, edited by Khatri, D. Neupane, K & Devkota, K., pp. 68-82. Kathmandu: Dhulikhel Municipality & SIAS.
• Pandey, C. L. (2017). “The 2015 Earthquakes in Nepal: From Rescue to Reconstruction”. In Recovering from Catastrophic Disasters in Asia, edited by William L. Waugh & Ziqiang Han, pp. 161-176. Bingley, UK: Emerald Publication.
• Pandey, C. L. (2015). “Climate Change in South Asia: Green Bridging between Nepal and India”. In Environmental Security in the Asia-Pacific, edited by I. Watson and C. L. Pandey, pp. 95-126. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

C) Key Peer-Reviewed Policy-oriented Reports/Papers

• Pandey, C. L. Evenson, K. & Green, A. (2023). Strengthening Democratic Resilience in Nepal. USAID:   US State Department.
• Pandey, C. L., Khadka, D. K., Banjade, M. R. & Adhikari, M. (2022). A Study of Nepal’s Public Policy    Processes: Policy Maker’s Perception and Use of Information in Decision-Making during the           COVID-19 Pandemic. Kathmandu: Policy Research Institute, Nepal/Kathmandu University.
• Pandey, C. L. Pyakurel, U., Sharma, S. & Giri, D. (2020). A Survey of Nepali People in 2018. Kathmandu: Kathmandu University, IDA & The Asia Foundation.
• Pandey, C. L. Pyakurel, U., Sharma, S. & Giri, D. (2018). A Survey of Nepali People in 2018. Kathmandu: Kathmandu University, IDA & The Asia Foundation.
• Pandey, C. L. Lis, John, Pradhan, P. (2020). Nepal Democracy, Human Rights and Governance Assessment Report. Kathmandu: USAID.
• Pandey, C. L. et al. (2016). Climate Change, Local Politics and Institutional Responses in Nepal: A Synthesis of Research Findings, Kathmandu: Forest Action & SIAS.
• Pandey, C. L. (2016). Workshop Report on Strengthening Legal Preparedness for International Disaster   Response in Nepal. Kathmandu: Institute of Crisis Management Studies, Nepal Red Cross &          International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Society.
• Pandey, C. L. et. al., (2016). Report on Post-Earthquake Disaster Governance in Nepal: Reflections from Practice and Policy. Kathmandu: SIAS, IOE & UNSW.

D) Opinion Pieces

A number of opinion piece articles have been published from various English daily and Magazine outlets of Nepal including The Kathmandu Post; The Himalayan Times; MyRepublica; Spotlight Nepal among others.