Santosh Nepal, a water and climate specialist at ICIMOD, has been awarded the prestigious ‘Young Science and Technology Award’ by the Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST). The award was handed over by the Nepali prime minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal during a ceremony marking the organization’s 34th anniversary on 5 December 2016. This award is conferred annually to up to five young scientists from Nepal below 40 years of age in recognition of their contributions to their respective fields of expertise.
Nepal received the award for his research in mountain hydrology and climate change, and the latter’s impact on water resources, upstream-downstream linkages, and water resources management. He has been working on these issues in the eastern Koshi River basin in particular, and in the Hindu Kush Himalaya in general. Nepal has been working in these areas while being associated with various projects at ICIMOD.