With its auspicious goal to produce competent and efficient human resource that can be instrumental in conservation and management of biodiversity, environment and natural resources and  development of rural communities, the IOF-PC, with the help of its enthusiastic teaching faculty and spirited staff, has always endeavored to ameliorate its academic environment and administer well designed educational programs that can address the current needs of the country  and the globe in forestry and allied fields. It is committed to satisfying student's quest for knowledge and pragmatic skills that will make all the difference in their professional career. The IOF-PC is currently running the following academic programs:

  1. Master of Science in Forestry
  2. Master of Science in Natural Resource Management and Rural Development (NRMRD)
  3. Master of Science in Watershed Management (WM)
  4. Master of Science in Community Forestry (CF)
  5. Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) in Forestry

Beside regular academic programs, it also conducts short-term national and international training and workshops in Forestry and allied subjects.

Assistant Professors:

Mr. Shambhu Paudel

Name:              Shambhu Paudel  

Position:         Assistant Professor

Subject:           Watershed Management

Department: Department of Watershed Management and Environmental Science

Education:     

  • M.Sc (Watershed Management) from IOF Pokhara Campus, Pokhara
  • B.Sc (Forestry) from Kathmandu Forestry College, Kathamandu
  • I.Sc (Forestry) from IOF Pokhara Campus, Pokhara

Interest Area: Freshwater ecosystem, Endangered species conservation, eflow, eDNA, Watershed                                Management, GIS/RS application in Forestry Science.

Research projects:

  • 2017-2018: Connecting eflow and ecology of freshwater indicator species in Karnali river system
  • 2016-2018: Understanding the effects of artisanal fishing on the ecology of Ganges River dolphin in Nepal
  • 2016-2018 : Managing human effected rivers for fisheries and endangered river dolphin conservation in Nepal.
  • 2016 Pilot project: Estimating population abundance and under water behaviours of endangered river dolphins using acoustic survey. With Yukiko Yamamoto Wildlife Research Center of Kyoto University Japan.
  • 2015-2016: Strengthening co-existence of fisheries with endangered river dolphins in Nepal’s river system (Inception project).
  • 2015: Examining ecological factors (including river geometry) influencing distribution, abundance and surfacing behaviors of river dolphins in major river systems (Karnali and Sapta Koshi) of Nepal.
  • 2013-014: Understanding populations of Ganges River dolphins Platanista gangetica gangetica in Nepal and initiating local efforts to conserve the remaining population.
  • 2014 Pilot project: Use of passive fixed C-POD acoustic device to monitor diel behaviors of river dolphins in Sapta Koshi river system of Nepal.
  • 2010-2012: Identification of factors (ecological and water attributes) affecting dolphin seasonal movement in Karnali River System of Nepal.

Research paper (International only):

  • Paudel S, Levesque JC, Saavedra C, Pita C, Pal P. (2016), Characterization of the artisanal fishing communities in Nepal and potential implications for the conservation and management of Ganges River Dolphin (Platanista gangetica gangetica). PeerJ 4:e1563; DOI 10.7717/peerj.1563
  • Shah KB, Paudel S (2016) Ecology of crocodile and dolphin in the Koshi Basin. Chapter 11 in: Doody TM, Cuddy SM, Bhatta LD (eds) Connecting flows and ecology in Nepal: current state of knowledge for the Koshi Basin. Sustainable Development Investment Portfolio (SDIP) project. CSIRO, Australia. pp 123–138
  • Paudel S, Pal P, Cove MV, Jnawali SR, Abel G, Koprowski JL, Ranabhat R. (2015). The Endangered Ganges River dolphin (Platanista gangetica gangetica) in Nepal: abundance, habitat and conservation threats. Endangered Species Researc, 29(1):59-68. DOI: 10.3354/esr00702
  • Paudel, S., Timilsina, Y. P., Lewis, J., Ingersoll, T., & Jnawali, S. R. (2015). Population status and habitat occupancy of endangered river dolphins in the Karnali River system of Nepal during low water season. Marine Mammal Science, 31(2), 707-719.
  • Paudel, S., Raj Jnawali, S., & Ram Lamichhane, J. (2012). Use of geographic information system and direct survey methods to detect spatial distribution of wild olive (Olea cuspidata Wall.) from high mountain forests of northwestern Nepal. Journal of Sustainable Forestry, 31(7), 674-686.
  • Paudel, S., Magranti, T., & Lamichhane, J. R. (2011). Antimicrobial activity of wild olive crude extracts in vitro. International Journal of Pharma Sciences and Research, 2(3), 110-113.

International Research and Professional Development Grants:

  • Ocean Park Conservation Grant (Hong Kong); Rufford Foundation (UK); IMATA (USA); Chicago Zoological Society- CBOT Endangered Species Fund (USA); The Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund UAE); Society for Marine Mammalogy (USA); Cleveland Metroparks Zoo and Cleveland Zoological Society conservation grants (USA); Professional Development Grant (WWF-US)

Research in Media:

  • Nepal’s endangered river dolphins return (2015/09/12)

http://www.scidev.net/south-asia/biodiversity/news/nepal-s-endangered-river-dolphins-return.html

  • Number of freshwater dolphins doubles in two decades: Study (2014/09/14)

http://www.ekantipur.com/2014/09/14/capital/number-of-freshwater-dolphins-doubles-in-two-decades-study/395003.html

  • Endangered dolphin spotted (2014/04/02)

http://kathmandupost.ekantipur.com/news/2014-04-02/endangered-dolphin-spotted.html

  • Dolphin survey from Dec (2013/11/30)

http://kathmandupost.ekantipur.com/news/2013-11-30/dolphin-survey-from-dec.html

  • Prey dearth, habitat loss put Karnali river dolphins on ‘edge of extinction’ (2012/09/01)

http://kathmandupost.ekantipur.com/printedition/news/2012-09-01/prey-dearth-habitat-loss-put-karnali-river-dolphins-on-edge-of-extinction.html

International Scientific Forum Paper Presentation:

  • 2016: “Conservation status of Ganges river dolphin in Nepal”, 4th International Marine Conservation Congress, St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, July 30-August 3, 2016. (Talk)
  • 2015: “Conservation status of endangered river dolphins in Nepal”, Student Conference on Conservation Science, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, UK, March 21-April 1 2015 (Poster Presentation)
  • 2015: “Population abundance, habitat characteristics and conservation threats of river dolphin in Nepal”, Students Conference on Conservation Science, 12th annual conference of Beijing Forum, Beijing, China, November 6-8, 2015 (Talk)
  • 2015 :“Characterization of the Artisanal Fishing Communities in Nepal: Potential Implications for the Conservation and Management of Ganges River Dolphin (Platanista gangetica gangetica)”,Biennial Conference on Biology of marine Mammals, 13-18 December,San Francisco, California, The Society for Marine Mammalogy, California, USA. (Poster Presentation)

Other Responsibilities:

  • Research and teaching including excursion related to assigned courses.

Contact Details:

Email: [email protected]/ [email protected]

Phone: 977-9841170723

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