Sanju Koirala
Researcher - Social Science-Water and Natural Resources
Areas of expertise
Migration Food systems Risks Inclusion Scaling Water-Energy-Food-Environment (WEFE) Nexus Social protection Gender Social development Innovation Natural resource management Energy Capacity buildingSanju Koirala is a social science researcher and project leader for Transboundary Rivers of South Asia. She is involved in action research and capacity-building programs focused on the water, energy, food and ecosystem nexus and the sustainable farming science program. Koirala has research experience in areas such as water resource management, disaster risk reduction and management, forced migration, water, sanitation and hygiene, classroom education practices, youth issues and access to justice. She holds a PhD in Human geography and her research specifically examines hydropower-induced displacement and its impact on potential displacees, social safeguard policy reforms and civil society engagement in Nepal’s hydropower sector.
Current projects
Latest news for Sanju Koirala
Systems thinking takes center stage at the World Water Congress in Morocco
Innovation alone will not secure water’s future. IWMI experts demonstrated that cross-sector planning, community participation and digital tools are key to water security ...
July-August 2025 Research Journal Roundup
Roundup of research, journal and other academic articles from July and August 2025 ...
Water-energy-food-ecosystem nexus approach presents a solution for transboundary resources management in Nepal
Stakeholders in the Rangun watershed in Nepal’s Mahakali-Karnali River Basin illustrate how a holistic approach across the Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystem Nexus can offer scalability for broader cross-border challenges ...
Women defining water, energy, food and ecosystems leadership in Nepal
While there is ample evidence of women’s roles and expertise in the management of resources, the literature is often silent on gender ...
IWMI gender researchers are helping to shape “transformative agendas” in the CGIAR Science Programs
Contributions at the CGIAR Gender Science Exchange emphasized the importance of social and environmental justice ...
Latest publications by Sanju Koirala
Report
Scaling water solutions: a report on the IWMI special session at XIX IWRA World Water Congress, Morocco
International Water Management Institute | February 13th, 2026
Brief
The need to revisit agricultural policies to promote mixed farming systems in Nepal’s mid-hills
International Water Management Institute | January 31st, 2026
Report
Capacity building in the water-energy-food-environment nexus in Nepal: achievements and future direction
International Water Management Institute | January 29th, 2026
