Dr. Basanta Raj Adhikari, a distinguished part-time associate professor of the Institute for Disaster Management and Reconstruction, Sichuan University-The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, was nominated as the Coordinator of the Academic and Research-Based Organizations Thematic Group of the National Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (NPDRR), Nepal. He is also faculty member of the Department of Civil Engineering, Pulchowk Campus, Institute of Engineering, Tribhuvan University, Nepal and a well-known expert on geohazards in the Himalayas. Dr. Adhikari will form a national committee under his leadership to coordinate and understand the issues the contributions that highly-trained professional can make to disaster risk reduction and comprehensive response.. There is a need for Nepal to harness the knowledge of scholars and academicians recently returned from foreign countries before brain drain. He will coordinate the activities all the universities and research organizations in Nepal and play a vital role in providing scientific advice to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority.

Just recently, Dr. Adhikari was also appointed as a high-level expert committee member to understand the cause and mechanisms of the Melamchi debris flow which occurred on 16 June, 2021. He has investigated debris flow, one of the largest in the modern history of Nepal, via aerial survey. He discussed the issues with the local people and provided his insights to the Government of Nepal. He is organizing a series of talk program inviting both national and international debris flow experts to share their experiences on the investigation of large scale debris flows and to propose mitigation measures.