Kunja Shrestha holds an MPhil in Environmental Change and Management fromm the University of Oxford, United Kingdom, and an MA in Natural Resources and as well as a BA in Social Sciences from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, India. His MPhil research, titled ‘Beyond the tangible: A comparative case study of floods and invisible losses in Mustang, Nepal,’ focused on intangible, climate induced-losses and how these losses are shaped by core-periphery dynamics in Nepal.
Kunja previously worked as a Research Assistant at Net Zero Tracker, an intiative of Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford, that monitors net-zero commitments by countries and Fortune 500 companies. Prior to pursuing his MPhil, he served as a Project Manager at the Foundation for Ecological Security, addressing issues related to commons governance in India.
His research interests span the intersection of climate change adaptation and development, with a particular focus on the sociocultural dimensions of vulnerability – including gender, culture, and religion – and structural issues of power, justice and equity. By integrating interdisciplinary frameworks, Kunja’s work seeks to highlight the lived experiences of marginalised communities and contribute to inclusive, equitable climate policy solutions.
Kunja joined the Southasia Institute of Advanced Studies (SIAS) in December 2024, where is engaged in projects on climate finance and climate migration in Nepal. Beyond his professional endeavours, Kunja is passionate about photography, exploring cultural landscapes, and engaging with local communities across Nepal.
Publication:
• Patel, S., Chorran, T., Shrestha, K., Rawat, S. (2020). Technology for Information Democracy: Case of GIS Enabled Entitlement Tracking System. In: Das, K., Mishra, B.S.P., Das, M. (eds) The Digitalization Conundrum in India. India Studies in Business and Economics. Springer, Singapore. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6907-4_12
