Thakur Silwal

Position:                             Dean, Associate Professor

Appointed Subject:          Wildlife & Protected Area Management

Department:                     Park Recreation and Wildlife Management

Education:                        

• PhD in Wildlife Management, Masaryk University, Faculty of Science, Brno, Czech Republic (2016)
• MSc Forestry, Tribhuvan University, Institute of Forestry, Pokhara, Nepal (2003)
• BSc Forestry, Tribhuvan University, Institute of Forestry, Pokhara, Nepal (1995)

Interest Area:

• Biodiversity conservation, Protected Area Management, Conservation Governance and Rural Livelihoods

Latest Research and Publications:  

• Ruda A, Kolejka J, Silwal T (2020) Spatial concentrations of wildlife attacks on humans in Chitwan National Park, Nepal. Animals 10, 153. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ani10010153
• Ruda A, Kolejka J, Silwal T (2018) GIS-assisted prediction and risk zonation of wildlife attacks in the Chitwan National Park in Nepal. ISPRS Int. J. Geo-Inf. 7, 369. DOI: doi:10.3390/ijgi7090369
• Devkota B, Silwal T, Shrestha B, Lakhey S, Yadav B, Sapkota A (2017) Abundance of snow leopard Panthera uncia and its prey species in Tsum Valley of Manaslu Conservation Area, Nepal. Banako Janakari 27(1).
• Silwal T, Kolejka J, Bhatta BP, Rayamajhi S, Sharma RP, Poudel BS (2017) When, where and whom: assessing wildlife attacks on people in Chitwan National Park, Nepal. Oryx 51 (2):370-377 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0030605315001489
• Silwal T, Kolejka J, Sharma RP (2016) Injury severity of wildlife attacks on humans in the vicinity of Chitwan National Park, Nepal. Journal of Biodiversity Management and Forestry 5:1. DOI:10.4172/2327-4417.1000154
• Silwal T, Shrestha BP, Bhatta BP, Devkota BP (2013) Revenue distribution pattern and park-people conflict in Chitwan National Park, Nepal. Banko Janakari 23 (1): 35-41. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/banko.v23i1.9465
• Devkota B, Silwal T, Kolejka J (2013) Prey density and diet of snow leopard (Uncia uncia) in Shey Phoksundo National Park, Nepal. Applied Ecology and Environmental Sciences 1 (4): 55-60. DOI: 10.12691/aees-1-4-4
• Bhatt BP, Awasthi KD, Heyojoo BP, Silwal T, Kafle G (2013) Using Geographic Information System and Analytical Hierarchy Process in Landslide Hazard Zonation. Applied Ecology and Environmental Sciences 1 (2): 14-22. DOI:10.12691/aees-1-2-1

Selected Task & Research Projects

Team Leader:

• Mid-term evaluation report: Living with tiger in Nepal: Poverty reduction for human wildlife co-existence in Chitwan and Bardia National Park, Nepal (2018);
• Study on the effectiveness of buffer zone programs in Sagarmatha National Park, Nepal (2017);
• Shantiban Batika Management Plan 2017-2021, Institute of Forestry, Dean’s Office, (2017);
• Human wildlife encounters in Chitwan National Park, Nepal. The Rufford Foundation (2014);
• Wildlife damages and adaptation strategies: a case from Chitwan National Park, Nepal. Supported by Institute of Forestry/ ComForM Project, Pokhara (2012);
• Parsa Wildlife Reserve and its Buffer Zone: Management plan (revision) (2011); and
• Contribution of the Buffer Zone Program on Rural Livelihoods: A case study from Chitwan National Park, Nepal. Supported by Institute of Forestry/ NUFU Project, Pokhara (2010).

 Team Member:

• Status of snow leopard and prey species in Tsum Valley of Manaslu Conservation Area, Gorkha, Nepal. Supported by Institute of Forestry/ MemCoE Project, Pokhara (2011)
• Human leopard conflict mitigation action plan Nepal. Supported by WWF Hariyo Ban Program (2019)

Selected Awards & Grants

• International students’ talented scholarship, Masaryk University, Czech Republic (2016);
• PhD scholarship, Russell E. Train Fellowship for Current and Aspiring Faculty, WWF US (2015);
• Small Grant, The Rufford Foundation, UK (2014);
• PhD scholarship: European Union/ Erasmus Mundus- EXPERT II (2012); and
• MSc scholarship: The International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) fellowship, Japan (2003)

Selected International Training and Workshops:

• 2015: Governing landscape restoration: governance, restoration, privatization (2 weeks) organized by Wageningen International, The Netherlands  
• 2015: Food security in mountain areas (2 weeks) organized by FAO-Mountain Partnership Secretariat, University of Milan and University of Turin, Italy  
• 2010: Training of trainers conservation practitioners course (8 weeks) organized by Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, USA and Wildlife Institute of India
• 2009: International seminar on protected area management (3 weeks) organized by The Montana University and US Forest Service, USA
• 2008: International training on multi-stakeholder process and social learning (3 weeks) organized by Wageningen International, The Netherlands  
• 2007: International training on participatory monitoring and evaluation (3 weeks) organized by International Institute of Rural Reconstruction (IIRR), Cavite, Philippines 
• 2007: International training of trainers on wetland management (3 weeks) organized by Wageningen International and SEAMEO/ BIOTROP, Bogor, Indonesia