Bim Prasad Shrestha

Kathmandu University, Nepal

Prof. Dr. Bim Prasad Shrestha is a native of Kathmandu Nepal and currently, Professor at Department of Mechanical Engineering at School of Engineering, Kathmandu University. He has also been serving as the Affiliate Professor at Department of Bioengineering at University of Washington Seattle, USA since October 15th, 2021. In past, he also served as Visiting Professor at Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Ehime University Japan from April 1st, 2007, till March 31st, 2012, to look after its research activities in Nepal through its satellite offices in Asia. Prof. Dr. Shrestha is also supervising graduate students as a Graduate Academic Advisor at King Mongkut Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, Bangkok Thailand. Dr. Shrestha has recently been appointed as the Director of Nepal Technology Innovation Center at Kathmandu University, that got established with financial and technical support of Government of Republic of Korea upon the request made by the Government of Nepal with due approval of council of cabinet of ministers chaired by the Prime Minister of Nepal. He started his career as a lecturer at Tribhuvan University upon completion of bachelor’s degree from Kerala Agricultural University India under American Participant program of US Government Scholarship Scheme and subsequently his interest grew in mechanization and life science and environment conservation eventually Biosystems engineering. Prof. Dr. Shrestha completed his Masters in Agricultural Mechanization at University of Miyazaki in Japan and PhD from Kagoshima University, Japan in Science of Life Environment and Conservation both under Japanese Government Scholarship followed by postdoc at Michigan State University, USA under USDA program in Biosystems Engineering. During his 20 years at Kathmandu University, he has bagged several grants, published research and conference and peer-reviewed papers, and accomplished numerous research projects. Apart from his teaching and research responsibilities, he is actively involved in developing collaboration and linkages with national and international Universities and agencies. He has led projects with the World Bank, Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), MASHAV, International Foundation for Science (IFS), DANIDA, EU, US Embassy/ Department of State, Gates Foundation etc. Prof Dr. Shrestha also served as steering committee member at Himalayan University Consortium at International Center for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) for first term from year 2014 till 2017 and successively for the second term from the year 2017 till 2021. Prof. Dr. Bim Shrestha is married to Ms. Anina Rajbhandari from Indrachowk Kathmandu and blessed with a son Abhi Shrestha daughter Aneeva Shrestha. Prof Shrestha is fluent and converse well in Nepal Bhasa, Nepali, Hindi, Japanese and English languages.

Speech title "GIS based Forest Biomass Characterization for Artificial Intelligent Wildfire Management"

Abstract-Wildfires are increasingly frequent and destructive, a problem exacerbated by climate change, human activity, and environmental degradation, posing serious threats to ecosystems, human settlements, and biodiversity. Therefore, effective wildfire management demands rapid, non-destructive detection, accurate localization, and efficient suppression strategies to minimize ecological damage, safeguard lives, and preserve economic resources. Traditional fire management approaches often struggle with early detection and rapid response due to limitations in human observation, data integration, and predictive capabilities. This research explores the integration of advanced technologies - Artificial Intelligence (AI), Near-Infrared (NIR) Spectroscopy, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) - to revolutionize wildfire management. By integrating these technologies, it is possible to develop intelligent systems capable of detecting early fire indicators, mapping fire locations in real time, and supporting firefighting operations through data-driven strategies. To ensure the effectiveness of these integrations, biomass characterization for combustion properties and their impact on global warming and climate change is essential for AI modeling. Biomass properties such as ignition temperature, ignition time, and higher heating value can serve as early indicators of fire-prone zones, especially in areas near communities or economic assets. Furthermore, evaluating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, carbon footprint, and global warming potential (GWP) of the biomass enables estimation of the environmental and economic impacts of wildfires. This information is crucial for the AI to accurately predict fire behavior and its consequences, ultimately enhancing wildfire preparedness and response.