Dr. Dharam Uprety of Practical Action (South Asia Office) and Tomorrow’s Cities has been appointed as a Technical Adviser in the Technical Adviser’s Committee of the Disaster Preparedness Network Nepal (DPNet-Nepal). This is in recognition of his expertise and significant contribution in the field of Disaster Risk Reduction and Management

Established in 1996 DPNet is a national umbrella organization of national and international agencies. DPNet’s core objectives focus on coordination, collaboration, learning and sharing of experiences and knowledge to support emergency response in the country and avoid duplication of efforts. Since its establishment, the network focuses broadly across the field of Disaster Management focusing on knowledge management, capacity building, policy advocacy and coordination and networking with government agencies and relevant stakeholders.

DPNet-Nepal has a unique relation with the Government of Nepal, especially with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA) and National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (NDRRMA) authorities to bridge the gap between governmental and non-governmental agencies in the field of disaster management. As a Secretariat of National Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (NPDRR) chaired by the Executive Chief of National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, DPNet-Nepal aims to bring stakeholders together in a common platform in support of effective disaster preparedness and management in Nepal. DPNet Nepal facilitates governmental and non-governmental institutions to work together under a single umbrella to address disaster related issues in Nepal.

Dr. Uprety has made substantial contributions to the development, climate resilience and disaster risk reduction sectors over the past few decades. He is particularly active in the area of flood early warning systems, strengthening flood resilience system specifically working with rural communities, and local governments in western Nepal. Through his work at Practical Action he has supported the establishment of strong ties with community and other stakeholders in terms of assessing and communicating flood risk. Dr Uprety is also widely recognised as an advisor to government on the impacts of climate change, and was nominated as part of the official delegation to the UN climate change Conference-COP26 held  in Glasgow, UK. Melamchi Municipality, of the Bagmati Province has also nominated Dr. Uprety as an expert member to advise local government in the area of early warning, DRR and climate resilience. Melamchi Municipality is one of the hardest hit municipalities due to 2021 mega flood disaster.

Dr. Uprety is the Impact Lead in the Kathmandu city office as part of the Tomorrow’s Cities project and represents Practical Action South Asia Office where he is the Thematic Lead Climate and Resilience. Dr. Uprety also represents IUFRO- the International Union of Forest Research Organisations based in Austria as an International Council member (2019-2024) from Nepal. He regularly participates in community, government and other forums and has contributed extensively to literature and debates on DRR and climate resilience. Some examples of his recent notable interviews can be found here:

1. https://youtu.be/o4ft_diinX8
2. https://youtu.be/ZxJ-c_mZSjo
3. https://newsagencynepal.com/2021/11/03/7605/
4. https://youtu.be/vE34MMBJa6Q
5. https://youtu.be/tf7QwG8QhDU
6. https://youtu.be/QGuRLYRmT8o
7. https://youtu.be/ZxJ-c_mZSjo
8. https://fb.watch/9ZM0IXrbCm/
9. https://fb.watch/9ZNfSx9cx8/
10. https://youtu.be/lxd5t5t_ki0
11. https://youtu.be/OqCz721RtDc

Dr Uprety with SDG parliament committee