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Career Timeline

Over time, Dr. Shrestha’s role evolved from direct technical practice to shaping how institutions, governments, and markets approach sanitation. The timeline below captures those pivotal shifts.

1988 – 1994

Institutional Development & Research
  • Established the environment and public health institutions – ENPHO. 
  • Conducted foundational research on water quality, and public health,
  • Limnology (Water Ecology), Emergency WASH. 
  • Worked in rural water supply, freshwater analysis, and environmental health.
  • Introduction of Piyush – household water treatment

1993 First Day at Limnology Institute in Austria

Bagmati River Monitoring 1989

Dugwell Chlorination at Refugee Camp 1991

ENPHO Building 1994

Field Water Quality Testing

Limnological Investigation of Gosaikunda Lake

Limnology Course in Austria

Local Water Quality Study

Phewa Lake Study

Piyush for Water Purification

Water Quality Testing Lab DISVI 1989

1995 – 1999

Professional & Academic Development
  • Achieved PhD degree – Mahendra Vidhya Bhushan (1999)
  • Introduction of nature based wastewater, greywater and fecal sludge treatment in Nepal

Constructed Wetlands for Wastewater Treatment

First Article on Constructed Wetlands for Wastewater Treatment in Nepal

Foundation Stone on Biological Wastewater Treatment Plant at Dhulikhel Hospital 1997

King Birendra Awarding Mahendra Bidhya Bhushan

PhD Degree Award by the Prof

Presenting Cholera Outbreak in Nepal Due to the Contaminated Drinking Water

River Pollution Map Observed by Crown Prince Dipendra

Team of Fecal Sludge Treatment Plant Project at KMC

With My Prof Raimund Haberl

1999 – 2005

Innovation & Demonstration
  • Successful demonstration and promotion of household water treatment for safe water, arsenic mitigation
  • Scaling constructed wetland for wastewater and grey treatment, rainwater harvesting and groundwater recharge
  • Introduction of Eco Home to demonstrate complete water and wastewater management
  • Third World Academy and Sciences (TWAS) Award and WB Development Market Place Award
  • Leading civil society movement for pro-poor water and sanitation services

2001 ENPHO Team

Arsenic Study in Terai 2001

communitiy-awareness-on-arsenic-mitiagation

demonstration-of-ecohome

ecosan-introduction

ecosan-toilet

enpho-assembly-2000

enpho-team-1999

health-investigation-for-the-impact-due-to-the-arsenic

hoseholdwater-treatment-sodis

housedhold-level-arsenic-filter

idetified-arsenocosis-patient

international-conf2002

international-conference-on-water-and-wastewater-2002

international-houehold-water-treatment-program

kathmandu-environment-award

larage-scale-fstp-in-pokhara-2000

pou-banner-bharatpur-hospital

prime-minister-gp-koirala-twas-award

rainwater-harvesting-innaguration

shcool-education

twas-award-by-ronast-2000

volunteers-for-piyush-production-during-emergency

water-debate-2003

water-doctor

water-festival-2004-by-kmc

world-bank-dm-award-for-innovation-on-arsenic-filter

2005 – 2012

Entering the Development Sector
  • Established UN-Habitat Project Office in Nepal
  • Led Water for Asian Cities Program scaling and policy influencing in the Asian region
  • Scaled community managed waste water treatment, Rain Water Harvesting and household water treatment 
  • Established community managed water supply systems (Siddhipur, Tokha etc)
  • Advocated for urban sanitation in the region (Nepal, Bangladesh, and Pakistan)
  • Settlement Improvement Advisor – Bangladesh – improvement of basic infrastructure in slum communities

advocacy-for-urban-sanitation

celebrating-international-year-of-sanitaion-2008

community-engagement-in-bangladesh

meeting-with-youth-volunteer-to-combat-cholera

mobile-public-toilet-introduction

my-team-in-bangladesh

national-convention-on-water-conservation

rainwater-harvesting-mass-campaign

safewater-in-community-bangladesh

siddhipur-driking-water-project-completion

water-conservation-movement

water-conservation

water-scarcity-in-pakistan

2012 – 2025

Global Engagement at the Gates Foundation
  • Deputy Director & Lead, Asia Region – WSH, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
  • Led CWIS and transformative sanitation strategy across Asia.
  • Architect to establish Sanitation Trust Fund at ADB
  • Strengthen partnerships with multilateral/bilateral agencies and development banks.
  • Supported governments of India, Bangladesh, and Nepal to scale non-sewered sanitation.
  • Guided investment planning, portfolios, and Asia program strategy.
  • Architect for establishment of several global and regional platforms 
    • Global Sanitation Graduate School (GSGS)
    • Global Water & Sanitation Center (GWSC),
    • Regional Capacity Building Platform at ITN-BUET Bangladesh
    • Sanitation Capacity Building Platform, NIUA, India, 
    • Global Sanitation Center for Excellence, IIT Palakkad, India.
  • Received Bill Gates Sr Award 2023 and Global Sanitation Leader Award 2025

adb-toyo

bangladesh-event

bill-sr-award-announcement-by-bill-gates-and-melinda-gates

bill-with-shit

design-faecal-sludge-management

economic-burden

GATES_WSH_SanitationValueChain_graphic_rev

global-sanitation-graduate-school

gsgs-iwa

in-dialogue-with-mimi-gates-may-21-2024

jackshim-at-office2

my-team-at-the-gates-foundation

my-team-in-india-office

rte

speaking-at-sacosan-nepal

tt

with-colleagues-after-aem-event

2026 – Present

Advisory Engagement
  • Member of the Board of Trustees and Senior Strategic Partnership, Resource Mobilization Advisor to the President,
  • Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Bangkok
  • Chairman of the Board of the World Toilet Organization (WTO), Singapore
  • Co-founder and a member of the Governing Board, Global Sanitation Graduate School Governing Board (GSGS)
  • Chairman of the Advisory Board, Global Water & Sanitation Center (GWSC) – AIT