Chudamani Joshi was born in Nepal and works in Kathmandu as Special Advisor at the Embassy of Finland. He moved to the Netherlands in 1999 to undertake a PhD in Tropical Forest Ecosystems (Wageningen University) and study Remote Sensing and GIS at ITC. As President of the ITC Alumni Association Nepal, he is still connected to ITC. Joshi explains that ITC provided the very first stone of his career foundation. ‘ITC helped me become a competitive professional with a relevant network and a strong resume. At a more personal level, I gained real world experience, satisfaction, social status, analytical skills and decision-making power,’ he says. Now working in a truly diplomatic world, he bridges the gap between many countries and societies. In his home country, about 71% of household water supply is contaminated with E. coli. Joshi says: ‘I would love to start a project that aims to reduce water related health hazards by constructing and maintaining sustainable water supplies for poor, isolated communities. The project would generate freely available remote sensing and participatory GIS data and maps for resource mapping. Finally, by introducing Dutch know-how and technology we could enhance the efficiency of water use and agricultural productivity’.
Text: Marjolein Gosseling
Photos: Arjan Reef & ITC Faculty
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