Meet Our Board
Jony Mainaly
Jony Mainaly is a lawyer based in Kathmandu and brings over ten years of experience in the field of law and policy. Her research-based experience spans environmental, climate change, employment, and tax law. Currently, she serves as a senior manager at UK Property Accountants, a UK based firm specializing in, but not limited to, property accounting and tax planning and finance. In the past and partly currently she works to promote climate justice, environmental conservation and sustainable development in Nepal and beyond through research, advocacy, litigation and advisory services. Ms. Mainaly through her research acumen has authored several academic papers, book chapters and research reports in the field of environmental and climate justice. She has recently submitted a book chapter on “Different Dimensions of Environmental Justice in Nepal: Reflection on Legal, Policy and Judicial Arrangements” for Environmental Justice in Nepal: Origins, Struggles and Prospects, Routledge Press (forthcoming) 2024. Ms. Mainaly was awarded the Fulbright Scholarship to complete her LL.M with an Environmental Law Certificate from Duke University School of Law (2013-14). She also served as a member of Environmental Law Committee of Nepal Bar Association for two terms (2015-17 & 2017-19).
Dr. Popular Gentle
Dr Popular has over 25 years of experience in research, policy, program interface with a primary focus on climate change adaptation, natural resource governance, livelihoods, poverty reduction, and gender equality and social inclusion - mainly with international development and research organizations. Dr Popular has accomplished his PhD in climate change adaptation from Charles Sturt University in Australia, where he is also an adjunct senior research fellow from 2014 to date. From June 2023-July 2024, Dr Popular served as a Climate Change and Environment Advisor to the Rt. Hon. Prime Minister of Nepal. Dr Popular has obtained Masters degree in Forestry from the University of Canterbury, New Zealand and a Masters in Ecology from the Tribhuvan University, Nepal. His past assignments include Asst. Country Director for CARE International in Nepal (2015-2018), Team Leader- Oxford Policy Management (2018-19) and Country Director for Ipas USA in Nepal from 2019-2022. His research has been extensively published on topics including climate change adaptation, livelihoods, natural resource governance, poverty, and gender.
Rojee Suwal
Ms. Rojee brings over 15 years of experience in agriculture, food-based nutrition, and community
development. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Agriculture and a master’s degree in Natural Resources
Management, with a specialization in Agrobiodiversity Management. She has diverse work experience in
program design and implementation, action research, and evidence-based policy advocacy on food
security, nutrition, economic empowerment, climate-resilience, gender, and inclusive livelihood
development. Her professional career includes leadership roles with LI-BIRD and Helen Keller Intl. She
has a strong track record in business development and project management, including supporting
grantee selection, co-designing agriculture and nutrition work plans across all seven provinces of Nepal,
and strengthening local NGOs through a Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting (CLA) approach. She has
provided thought leadership in nutrition-sensitive agriculture programming for USAID’s Feed the Future
implementing partners and other multisectoral nutrition program stakeholders, including private sector
entities. In collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, Department of
Food Technology and Quality Control, and Training Directorates at federal and provincial levels, she has
contributed to policy and strategy reforms, frameworks, and the development of information,
education, and communication (IEC) materials. Her work has emphasized farm-to-fork approaches, food
environments, large-scale food fortification, and agroecological transition for building sustainable and
resilient food systems.
Prakriti Koirala
Prakriti Koirala holds a master's degree in Environmental Science with a specialization in climate change. She began her journey as an activist in 2016, driven by a passion for environmental and social justice. Actively engaged in research-based advocacy, Prakriti has been involved in international climate change negotiations since 2021, focusing on loss and damage as a negotiator from Nepal. She also serves as the global youth coordinator for the Least Developed Countries Group. As a member of the Loss and Damage Youth Coalition, Prakriti is part of an international network dedicated to pushing for ambitious global action on loss and damage issues. Her dedication to the cause and her commitment to environmental conservation and climate justice is inspired by her name- Prakriti (nature).
Swikriti Timsina
Swikriti Timsina currently serves as the National Lead of the World’s Youth for Climate Justice – Nepal Front. A law student and committed climate enthusiast, she has contributed to the written submissions of Nepal in the International Court of Justice’s Advisory Opinion. Her work with the People’s Forum for Human Rights further deepened her interest in human rights, with a particular focus on the intersection of human rights and climate justice.