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Cryosphere Analyst Climate and environmental risks (SG1) Managing cryosphere and water risks (SG1-AAA)
I work as a Cryosphere Analyst in the Water and Air Theme and River Basins and Cryosphere Regional Programme to implement cryosphere-related research, such as monitoring of benchmark glaciers, glacial lakes and glacial lake outburst floods (GLOF) in Nepal, and to extend monitoring activities in Afghanistan, Bhutan and Pakistan. I lead research expeditions to collect essential cryospheric information in the Himalaya, and am the national correspondent of the World Glacier Monitoring Service for Nepal. In our cryosphere monitoring project (CMP), I have been conducting regular glaciological fieldwork on benchmark glaciers in the Nepal Himalaya since 2011 and Bhutan from 2015, and am the coordinator of the CMP-Bhutan. Since 2018, I have been providing technical support for glacier monitoring in Afghanistan. I also give trainings on glacier mass balance monitoring for regional professionals, including field-based courses on glacier monitoring and data collection, and theoretical trainings on the scientific background and data analysis to promote partners’ capacity for monitoring and to fill knowledge gaps on the cryosphere in our region.
Sharad Prasad Joshi
How do you protect the pulse of the planet?
I protect the pulse of the planet through my work helping to better understand and quantify glacial change and the impact of climate on glaciers.
What is your favorite part of the work you do at ICIMOD?
I enjoy working in multicultural and multidisciplinary teams in the office and with partners. My work allows me to research in the mountains and connect to the ground realities of mountain people which gives me satisfaction. I also like conducting glaciological research in Nepal and Bhutan and enjoy contributing to the prospering glacier monitoring programme in Afghanistan.
What are you passionate about?
I am passionate about understanding glaciers and glacial lake processes, the effects of global warming on the Himalayan glaciers, and the future of glaciers. I also love documenting glacier changes with my camera and contributed to the National Snow & Ice Data Center (Link: https://nsidc.org/data/glacier_photo/search/).
My qualifications
My main areas of expertise include glacier monitoring, glacial lakes, GLOFs, impact assessment of disaster risks, and GIS and remote sensing methods. I have over twenty-five years of experience with field-based cryosphere research in Nepal and Bhutan, and with GIS/RS based methods in the entire HKH region. I hold a Diploma in cartography, GIS and mapping from the International Institute for Aerospace Survey and Earth Sciences (ITC Enschede) the Netherlands, and a Bachelor’s degree in business management from Nepal. Prior to joining ICIMOD, I gained experience in the field of water resources (including glacial lakes and GLOFs) while working as an engineer for the Water and Energy Commission Secretariat, Government of Nepal.
After joining ICIMOD in 2009, I contributed to the second glacial lake inventory of Nepal and conducted fieldwork for a detailed study on three potentially dangerous glacial lakes. I’ve led various expeditions to monitor glaciers with a focus on the mass balance, frontal and surface changes, glacial lakes and GLOFs, have worked extensively with GIS/RS, and have special experience in carrying out inventories of glaciers, glacial lakes, and GLOFs in Nepal, Bhutan, and other countries in the region. Over the past decade, I’ve also contributed to and conducted various glacier monitoring trainings for Master’s-level students and colleagues and professionals from across our eight regional member countries.
