Australia Awards South and West Asia

For Dr Kiran Paudyal, securing an Australia Awards Scholarship to complete a PhD at the University of Melbourne was a milestone in his career pathway to becoming a forestry, conservation and climate change expert and academic—a journey characterised by determination and securing timely opportunities.

Rewinding to his childhood in the village of Karkineta (which is now in Phalewas Municipality of Nepal’s Parbat District), in a rural area where most villages did not have schools, Kiran was fortunate to have a school just a twenty-minute walk from his home. However, the facilities in the school were minimal. He recalls, “We had no benches or desks at the school, so we brought a rice straw mat from home and sat on the floor to study. We used a dust plate to learn our letters instead of a blackboard and chalk.”

Despite the school’s modest infrastructure, Kiran secured a first division in his School Leaving Certificate examination at the end of Class 10—a significant success for him and an unprecedented achievement at his school.

Soon after, Kiran uprooted himself to seek better educational opportunities, leaving for the city of Pokhara to complete his Proficiency Certificate Level (now known as Classes 11 and 12) and a Bachelor of Science in Forestry at Tribhuvan University’s Institute of Forestry. Managing the cost of study wasn’t easy for Kiran, as his family relied on subsistence agriculture for their livelihood, and Kiran had five other siblings for them to support. The untimely passing of his father during his college years further deepened his family’s economic hardship.

Nevertheless, Kiran persevered and gained work experience in the forestry sector, moving to Kathmandu, where he completed a Master of Science in Sociology and received a Netherlands scholarship to undertake a master’s degree in Natural Resource Management at the University of Twente.

In 2014, he secured an Australia Awards Scholarship to undertake his PhD on Quantification and Payment for Ecosystem Services from Community-managed Forests in Nepal.

Kiran attending the farewell event in Melbourne organised by Australia Awards during his time as a scholar.

Kiran says that his studies in Australia “played a pivotal role in my professional development by equipping me with both theoretical knowledge and practical skills that are recognised globally. The emphasis on critical thinking, logical reasoning, problem-solving and independent learning prepared me to tackle complex challenges in the workplace. The multicultural environment and exposure to international perspectives enhanced my communication and collaboration skills, which are essential in today’s Nepal and the global development sector.” He says that his Australian PhD boosted his confidence and credibility and opened new career opportunities in Nepal and internationally.

Fast forward to 2025: Kiran now has 34 years of experience in research and development in forest management, biodiversity conservation, landscape restoration, ecosystem services, water conservation, integrated watershed management and climate change. His work includes biodiversity and ecosystem services assessment, valuations, payment for ecosystem services, and landscape and habitat restoration for biodiversity conservation. Additionally, he focuses on climate change adaptation and mitigation, watershed conservation, community-based forest and fisheries management, forest mapping, forest-based enterprise development for poverty reduction and local economic growth, and policies and governance of natural resources in the Asia-Pacific region.

He has worked for major organisations and programs, including ForestAction Nepal; the Micro-Enterprise Development Program of the United Nations Development Programme / Government of Nepal; Center for International Forestry Research, Bogor, Indonesia; International Network for Bamboo and Rattan, China; and the EnLiFT Project (Enhancing livelihoods from improved forest management in Nepal), a collaborative research program of the Government of Nepal, two Australian universities and ForestAction Nepal. He has also served as consultant for Nepal’s Ministry of Forest and Environment and the World Bank’s Country Office.

Kiran now serves as the Chairperson of Nepal’s largest national conservation program, the President Chure-Terai Madhesh Conservation Development Board. Focusing on soil and water conservation in the fragile Siwalik hills, the flagship program covers seven provinces, 37 districts and 325 municipalities (28% of the country’s area). It provides environmental security and ecosystem services to more than 58% of the country’s population.

Kiran in his office in Kathmandu.

At the Board, Kiran’s work aims to provide environmental safeguards for the communities living in the Chure-Terai Madhesh Landscape, ensuring a balanced environment while promoting water conservation, habitat restoration and economic prosperity. As Chairperson, he reviews development projects from other agencies to determine their suitability for the Chure-Terai Madhesh Landscape and has prepared safeguard documents for World Bank projects in Nepal, deepening his own understanding of various safeguards related to development initiatives.

He is also an Adjunct Professor at Nepal’s Agriculture and Forestry University, contributing to research and development in environmental assessments, environmental and social safeguards, natural resource management, forestry, and ecosystem services. Furthermore, he supervises two PhD candidates (one from the University of New England, Australia) and three Master of Science students from various universities.

In addition, Kiran is currently a research fellow in ecosystem services at the University of New England, where he has developed a partnership in ecosystem services research between Australia and Nepal, and he recently completed a three-year term as the President (a volunteer position) of the Nepal Foresters’ Association, to which he was elected by more than 5,000 forestry graduates in Nepal.

On World Environment Day 2025, Kiran reflects, “As humanity relies on the land, we face a toxic mix of pollution, a climate crisis and biodiversity loss that is transforming healthy lands into deserts and thriving ecosystems into dead zones.”

World Environment Day in 2025 will focus on ending plastic pollution, which Kiran interprets as aiming to raise awareness of the harmful effects of plastic pollution, including microplastics, and to encourage action to reduce plastic consumption, improve recycling and promote sustainable alternatives for a better future. He says, “We must focus on combating plastic pollution by motivating everyone, from schools and community groups to businesses, cities and governments, to host events centred on the theme of ‘Beat Plastic Pollution’ or similar positive environmental initiatives for the future of humanity.”