About us

Resources Himalaya Foundation (RHF) was founded by late Dr Pralad Yonzon as a non-governmental, non-profit organization (Registered No. 1791 DAO/Lalitpur). It was established as Resources Nepal, a self-governing private organization in 1986. It became an independent, nonprofitable research foundation managed by a Governing Board and administered by its Executive Office since 2004. RHF’s competitive edge over others is its ability to deal with contemporary knowledge and issues connected with nature conservation. This is substantiated by the fact that RHF was one of the eight recipients of the 2007 MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions, selected from several NGOs from six continents.

what we do

Resources Himalaya Foundation (RHF) was established as a research think tank on natural resource conservation by late Dr Pralad Yonzon. Registered with the Government of Nepal (District Administration Office, Lalitpur and Social Welfare Council), RHF is a not-for-profit research foundation managed by a Governing Board. It has over 35 years of experience in innovative research and capacity building in biodiversity, environment and livelihood in Nepal, Bhutan and Sikkim through nearly 250 research projects.

The milestones of RHF include the Nepal Biodiversity Action Plan, GIS Database of Nepal’s PA, Nationwide Database of Chure Ecology, Conservation Plan of Biodiversity of the Western Terai (Chure Region), Annapurna Conservation Area Management Plan, Elephant Conservation Action Plan and Snow Leopard Conservation Action Plan.  RHF also assisted in developing Rapid Biodiversity Survey Framework for all nine protected areas of Bhutan including Phobjikha Conservation Landscape Area Plan. Other notable research projects include the Count Rhino ’94, Status of the Red Panda in the Himalayas, Hornbill Ecology, Biodiversity and Forest Regeneration of Shivapuri Watershed Reserve (1989-1992), Thirty Years of Community Forestry Mapping Forest Dynamics in the Middle Hills of Nepal, Integration of Indigenous and Sustainable Knowledge for the Sustainable Use of NTFPs in Sagarmatha National Park and its Buffer Zone, F.I.S.H. (Fostering Indigenous Sustainable Harvest) for Climate Resilient Livelihoods in Middle Karnali Watershed of Karnali River Basin and Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA).

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what we do

Currently, RHF is conducting research on Surface Water Change and Knowledge Enhancement (SuChaK) partnership with USAID, Clean-Up Himalaya to Sustain High Altitude Heritage, Nepal partnership with European Outdoor Conservation Association (EOCA), Nepal Reconstruction Engineering Service (NRES) supported partnership with by USAID, Sustainable Development Goals Sub-Urban Platform supported by UNDP Nepal, and Bone Market Chain Analysis supported by Itoh. Bringing contemporary knowledge to deal with issues of natural resources conservation, and mentoring the younger generation to build the conservationists of the future are the two major thrusts of RHF’s work. In the last five years it has mentored over 250 university graduates and enabled over 75 graduates to engage in dissertation studies.

mission & vision

mission

To conserve biodiversity in the Himalaya, promote sustainable use of natural resources including soil, water, forest, rangeland, and to improve livelihoods particularly of the poor, disadvantaged and marginal sections of society.

goal

To promote “good science” to facilitate “informed and evidence-based decision-making” to secure both biodiversity and resource conservation and improved livelihoods of the poor.

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vision

Resources of the Himalaya are conserved for posterity and sustainably utilized for improving the livelihoods of its people.

Governing Board and Board Members

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ChairDinesh BHUJU, PhD
(Chiba University, Japan)

Forest Ecology, Climate Change Study and Sustainability

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Dr Dinesh R BHUJU is an academician at Nepal Academy of Science and Technology. Besides his academic work on ecology and environment, he has been actively involved in the promotion of science. He holds a PhD from Chiba University, Japan.

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General SecretaryPrakash SHARMA, MA
(University of Pavia, Italy)

Youth Entrepreneurship and Project Management

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Mr SHARMA has more than 15 years of combined experiences in development sector mainly programme design, implementation and monitoring in development sector mainly on child labour, education, gender mainstreaming, social dialogue, workplace cooperation, industrial relation, social policies, enterprise development, informal economy, youths and employment, training and capacity building. He has special interest in project cycle management, research and development.

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TreasurerPatanjali Y SHRESTHA, MA
(University of Wollongong, Australia)

International Relations and Sociology

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of Wollongong in Australia. She has wider experience working as researcher for women, ethnic groups, livelihood, forestry, school children and served RHF as Program Officer for five years.

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Former ChairProf. Ram B CHHETRI, PhD
(University of Hawaii, USA)

Social Anthropology and Community Forestry

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Dr Ram B CHHETRI is a professor of anthropology at Tribhuvan University. His specialization includes community-based resource management. He holds a PhD in Anthropology from University of Hawaii, USA.

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Board MemberProf. Rejina M BYANJU, PhD
(Tribhuvan University, Nepal)

Environmental Chemistry, Air Pollution and Bioenergy

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She has been working on Water pollution, Indoor and outdoor air pollution studies, emission inventories, air pollution modeling, forest fire and risk assessment researches with respect to human health and environment. She has served as Resource Persons at various national and international meets, published about 50 peer review national and international scientific papers, co-authors of three reference books, production of TV programs, bulletins with the various environments related issues of the country, supervised several MSc and PhD dissertation researches.

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Board MemberMedinee PRAJAPATI, MSc
(Tribhuvan University, Nepal)

Mountain Environment and Education

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She is working as Environment Specialist at Center for Education and Human Resource Development. Her role is to address the environment and social safeguard and School safety, review, draft policy, reports, correspondence and other documents, and monitor the implementation of safety and safeguard issues in the schools and worked as Research assistant in Nepal Academy of Science and Technology and been Coordinator of Environment Graduates in Himalaya.

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Board MemberDeep N SHAH, PhD
(Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University, Germany)

Aquatic Biodiversity

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With over 10 years of experience in different roles at GOs, NGOs and INGOs projects over Nepal, he holds a PhD in Natural Science (Biodiversity and Climate Change) from Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Univeristy, Germany.

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AdvisorProf. Pitamber SHARMA, PhD
(Cornell University, USA)

Geography/ Regional Planning

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in 2008. He is a geographer/ regional planner with wide experience in the Himalayas. He holds a PhD in regional planning from Cornell University, USA.

Our Team Members

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Research CoordinatorGauri Shankar BHANDARI, PhD
(Seoul National University, S. Korea)

Plant Molecular Taxonomy, Biodiversity

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Research FellowKamal ADHIKARI, PhD
(University of Aberdeen, Scotland)

Ethnobotany and Biodiversity

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Project Team Leader, IKI Climate Change ProjectDipesh PYAKUREL, PhD
(University of Copenhagen, Denmark)

NTFP/ Value Chain

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Research FellowNani Maiya SUJAKHU, PhD
(Kunming Institute of Botany, UCAS, China)

Ethnobotany, Community Vulnerability and Climate Change Study

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Research FellowSagar DHAKAL, PhD (Shoolini University, India)

Endangered Plant Ecology and Anti-cancer Plant Conservation

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Research Fellow (Visiting)Kamal Raj GOSAI, PhD
(Guangxi University, China)

Behavioral Ecology, Biodiversity Conservation and Management, and Climate Change

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Project Team Leader, Rhino ProjectSheila GHIMIRE, MSc
(Erasmus Mundus Joint Degree Program)

Hydro informatics and Water Management

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Project Coordinator, Himalayan Wolves ProjectNaresh KUSI, PG Diploma
(University of Oxford, UK)

Wildlife Conservation

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ResearcherDaniela VARGASS, MA
( Universita` di Pavia, Italy)

International Cooperation and Development

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Program ManagerArchana SINGH, MA
(Tribhuvan University, Nepal)

Communication and Operational Management

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Finance OfficerPriya MAHARJAN, MBS
(Tribhuvan University, Nepal)

Accounts and Finance

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Program OfficerSubekshhya TULADHAR, MSc
(Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand)

Climate Change

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EGH CoordinatorBishnu ARYAL, MSc
(Tribhuvan University, Nepal)

Zoology

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Security GuardLal Bahadur BLON

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HelperNirmala THAPA MAGAR

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