Shailendra Kumar Pokharel

Mr. Pokharel is the Founder, Principal Convener, and Executive Director of the Conservation Development Foundation (CODEFUND). A botanist by training, his distinguished career in environmental leadership began in 1982 when he joined Tribhuvan University as a Lecturer in Botany. Following advanced studies in Natural Resource Management, he expanded his impact into field-level project management, serving from 2003 to 2007 as Sector Chief for the Bung Sector (Solukhumbu) under the Makalu Barun National Park & Conservation Area Project—a joint venture between The Mountain Institute and the Department of National Parks & Wildlife Conservation.

In 1997, Mr. Pokharel joined IUCN Nepal, progressively serving as a Consultant, Senior Program Officer, and Regional Chief for Eastern Nepal. In these roles, he spearheaded major landscape-scale biodiversity initiatives, including the Community Conservation of Rhododendrons in the Tinjure Milke Jaljale area and the protection of the Critical Ecosystem of Ilam Siwalik.

An authority on wetland governance, Mr. Pokharel served as a Consultant Adviser to the Government of Nepal in 2007 on lake sustainability, which led to his engagement with the International Lake Environment Committee Foundation (ILEC), Japan. Since then, he has been a key driver in advancing the Integrated Lake Basin Management (ILBM) framework nationwide. Currently, Mr. Pokharel and his team are leading efforts to establish the Wetlands Academy—a pioneering initiative designed to serve as a cornerstone for institutional wetland governance and sustainable development in Nepal.

Email: shailendrapokharel@gmail.com
Phone: +9779841698227