Title: Senior Technical Adviser
Company: United Nations Development Programme, Ministry of Agriculture and Environment
Location: Howick, Auckland, New Zealand
Manohar Shrestha, Senior Technical Adviser at the United Nations Development Programme and the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Executives for dedication, achievements, and leadership in Climate-Resilient Agriculture, Climate Change Adaptation, Sustainable Forest Management, Project Planning and Management.
With a distinguished career spanning five decades, Mr. Shrestha has established himself as an authority in his field. Since 2023, he has served as a senior technical adviser for the United Nations Development Programme and the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment in Hanoi, Vietnam. In this capacity, he provides technical support on climate-resilient agriculture and water-efficient irrigation systems under the Asian Development Bank-funded WEIDAP project.
Mr. Shrestha’s wide-ranging responsibilities include project planning with annual plans and budgeting, stakeholder coordination, technical guidance for effective delivery, policy development for climate change adaptation, and review of progress on technical assistance programs. He also supports financial management and guides gender and environmental safeguards while overseeing monitoring and evaluation frameworks. His work in Vietnam has focused on supporting poor, near-poor, female and ethnic minority populations in highly weather-sensitive regions.
Over the past five years, agricultural productivity has increased by 15-20% while reducing chemical fertilizer use through organic alternatives. Mr. Shrestha is particularly proud of establishing water user groups with women playing a central role in managing irrigation systems, a model that demonstrates how environmental resilience can reinforce community empowerment.
Before his current role, from 2018 to 2022, Mr. Shrestha was the chief technical adviser for the Community-Based Sustainable Forest Management for Water Conservation project with GFA Consulting Group in Manipur, India. There, he advised on participatory watershed management and climate change-adapted watershed strategies with community forest planning. Mr. Shrestha designed agroforestry models and led training programs for improved water conservation and forest management. His leadership also included forming Water Resources Conservation Groups, conducting district-level strategic planning with stakeholders, and managing both international and national consultants to ensure quality assurance and effective project delivery.
From 2016 to 2018, Mr. Shrestha served as a team leader for the Low Carbon Agricultural Support Project at Agrifood Consulting in Hanoi. Between 2013 and 2014, he excelled as the chief technical adviser for the Vietnam Agriculture Competitiveness Project with ACI Worldwide and the World Bank Group. Earlier, in 2012, Mr. Shrestha held the position of chief technical adviser with GFA Consulting Group in Vietnam, following his tenure as a technical adviser at GHD in Vietnam from 2008 to 2011.
Among numerous other professional opportunities, Mr. Shrestha worked for companies like The Center for Rural Development at Hue University in Vietnam, URS Australia in Nepal, and Landcare Research and Lincoln International LLC in Vietnam. He was also an independent consultant in forestry, environment and climate change in New Zealand beginning in 1996. Mr. Shrestha’s foundational experience, however, was gained during more than two decades as the chief forest officer with the Nepal Forest Service under the Ministry of Forests and Environment, beginning in 1976. There, he played a pivotal role in advancing community forestry policy by shifting financial management from government agencies directly to local communities, a transformative approach that empowered people to manage their own resources and finances while enhancing forest conservation efforts.
Mr. Shrestha’s academic background includes a postgraduate associate degree from Indian Forest College, now Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy, at the Forest Research Institute in Dehradun, India, since 1976, and a Master of Forestry in forest management from Duke University in 1985, supported by a USAID scholarship that enabled him to contribute to forestry projects in Nepal during his studies. Mr. Shrestha credits Duke University for its transformative impact on his approach to forestry science. He also acknowledges valuable mentorship from international experts whose support helped shape his professional philosophy.
Maintaining long-standing memberships in professional organizations such as the New Zealand Institute of Forestry since 1996, Mr. Shrestha’s affiliations have been instrumental in his ability to remain abreast in his field. Beyond his professional roles, his civic contributions have included serving as the president of New Zealand Nepal Society Inc. while living in New Zealand, leading agricultural programs, environmental afforestation initiatives, and other community activities between 2006 and 2008 and again from 2016 to 2017. Among Mr. Shrestha’s earliest accomplishments was establishing a local library with friends at age 14 in Kathmandu, India, an initiative that involved securing book donations and workshop support from American, Chinese, Russian and Indian embassies. This formative experience sparked his lifelong interest in organizational management and public service. Mr. Shrestha remains actively engaged in public service today in various capacities.
As an author of numerous reports and documents related to forestry science and agricultural development, Mr. Shrestha considers these publications significant contributions toward advancing knowledge within his field. His expertise has been further demonstrated by his contributions to over 15 major projects internationally, where he has consistently championed community participation as a cornerstone of sustainable resource management.
Mr. Shrestha is lauded for achieving expertise across climate-resilient agriculture, climate change adaptation, sustainable forest management and project planning, fields where few reach such distinction. His work has earned official recognition with a Forest Management Plan Preparation Award from Nepal’s Ministry of Forests and Environment as well as project completion Certificates of Recognition from authorities in Vietnam.
Although eligible for retirement, Mr. Shrestha remains physically active and mentally engaged with ongoing projects. He intends to continue contributing professionally through new assignments related to climate-smart agriculture or forest management wherever opportunities arise. For those entering the field today, Mr. Shrestha encourages integrating modern technologies with traditional practices rather than seeking abrupt changes, an approach proven effective over time through gradual transformation within rural communities.
Looking ahead, Mr. Shrestha hopes his legacy will be defined by dedication to long-term sustainability beyond individual projects so that farmers continue implementing innovative practices after formal support ends. His enduring commitment stands as an example of how scientific expertise combined with community engagement can drive lasting positive change amid global challenges such as climate change.
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