Australia Awards South and West Asia

Among its other activities, Australia Awards works with local and international organisations to provide Australian Professional Opportunities (APOs) to participants from South Asia and Mongolia. APOs are learning and development activities funded by the Australian Government to support leaders from priority sectors with additional learning and networking opportunities.

Australia Awards recently supported a total of five Government of Nepal officials to participate in two APOs in September 2022.

Study tour on river basin management

Three participants representing the Government of Nepal’s Water and Energy Commission Secretariat were supported through an APO to attend meetings in Canberra on river basin management and make site visits to the Snowy Mountains Scheme, Hume Dam and Barmah Forest on 5–8 September. Dinesh Kumar Ghimire (former Secretary), Shishir Koirala (former Joint Secretary) and Kala Nidhi Poudyal (Joint Secretary) met officials at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation; the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water; and the Murray Darling Basin Authority. During the study tour, the delegation learnt about some of Australia’s prominent projects in water infrastructure, energy, irrigation and flood mitigation. They also gained exposure to water allocation rules, water markets, river operations and environmental flows.

Asia Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction

Two participants from the Government of Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority—Anil Pokhrel (Chief Executive) and Reena Chaudhary (Environment Inspector and GEDSI Focal Person)—were supported through an APO to travel to Brisbane to attend the Asia Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction on 19–22 September. The conference brought together delegates from the Asia Pacific region to showcase and share their experiences and accelerate progress on disaster risk reduction.

Mr Anil Pokhrel (2nd from right) visiting Sydney’s Fire and Rescue New South Wales facility

During the conference, Anil Pokhrel met separately with several Australian disaster and emergency management agency leaders. Following the conference, he also attended the 2022 Queensland Disaster Management Research Forum in Brisbane and made a site visit to the City of Sydney Fire and Rescue station in New South Wales.

Image on the top: Government of Nepal officials meeting with DFAT, eWater and Murray Darling Basin Authority officials.