Rudra Shrestha is an Atmospheric Scientist. He holds a PhD in Atmospheric Science from the University of Manchester, UK, an MSc in Environmental Science from the Netherlands, and a Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering from Kathmandu, Nepal. As a Climate Scientist at the Office of the Provincial Health Officer, Ministry of Health, Government of British Columbia, his primary role is to model the population health outcome linked with environmental stressors such as extreme weather events and air pollution. His research interest is to better understand the interconnection between the environment, including climate change, and public health to inform policy and contribute to healthier, more sustainable societies. Prior to his role at the BC Public Service, Dr. Shrestha worked with Environment and Climate Change Canada and the Tyndall Center for Climate Change Research. He is an associate faculty member at Royal Roads University.
Experience
Rudra Shrestha has several years of experience in climate science and modelling. At the Tyndall Center, he led MITAC (Mitigating Aviation Impact on Climate), a collaboration between the University of Manchester and Environment and Climate Change Canada, aimed at developing a process-based model to mitigate aviation's impact on climate. At Environment and Climate Change Canada, he contributed to the development of a process-based vegetation dynamics model. During his PhD at Manchester, he led the HACI (Himalayan Aerosol – Cloud Interactions) project field campaign in the mid-hill region of Nepal.
Education
2013
PhD in Atmospheric Sciences
University of Manchester
2007
Master of Environmental Science
UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education, the Netherlands
2001
Bachelor of Civil Engineering
Institute of Engineering, Tribhuvan University, Nepal
Awards
2008-2012
Dorothy Hodgkin Award for PhD study in Atmospheric Science
University of Manchester, UK
2005-2007
Netherlands Fellowship Programme (NFP) Award for MSc study in Environmental Science
UNESCO-IHE, Netherlands
Research
Research interest
Climate Change
Air Pollution
Climate modelling
Publications
Shrestha, R. K., Arora, V. K., Melton, J. R., and Sushama, L. (2017): An assessment of geographical distribution of different plant functional types over North America simulated using the CLASS-CTEM modelling framework, Biogeosciences, 14, 4733-4753, doi: https:doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-4733-2017.
Shrestha, R. K., Connolly, P. J. and Gallagher, M. W. (2017): Sensitivity of WRF cloud microphysics to simulations of a convective storm over the Nepal Himalayas, The Open Atmospheric Science Journal, 11, 29-43, doi: 10.2174/1874282301711010029.
Shrestha, R. K., Gallagher, M. W. and Connolly, P. J. (2016): Seasonal and diurnal variations of meteorology and aerosol concentrations in the foothills of the Nepal Himalayas (Nagarkot:1,900 m asl), Asia-pac. J. Atmos. Sci., 52(1), 63-75.
Shrestha, R. K., Arora, V. K., Melton, J. R., (2016): The sensitivity of simulated competition between different plant functional types to subgrid-scale representation of vegetation in a land surface model, J. Geophys. Res. Biogeosci., 121, doi: 10.1002/2015JG003234.
Melton, J. R., Shrestha, R. K., Arora, V. K. (2015): The influence of soils on heterotrophic respiration exerts a strong control on net ecosystem productivity in seasonally dry Amazonian forests, Biogeoscience, 12, 1151-1168, doi:10.5194/bg-12-1151-2015.