Komal Raj Aryal

Komal brings over 25 years’ participatory action based research experience on collaborative local disaster risk reduction and response governance. Komal specialises in integrated disaster vulnerability, risk and capabilities analysis. His current research is focused to strengthen integrated disaster risk reduction, response and resilience governance capabilities of government officials and future civil servants from the south and south east Asian countries on using Earth Observation (EO) imagery, 3D models, artificial and social intelligence based information for making disaster resilient communities and nations.
Currently, Komal is serving as a Co-Investigator and Investigator on three UKRI-NERC and ESRC-funded research projects focused on 14 countries across South and Southeast Asia. Additionally, he is exploring the use of bio-char to reduce forest fire incidents, enhance soil nutrients, improve slope stability, and strengthen local agricultural production in the Himalayas.
In the past, Komal worked for various organisations (universities, NGOs, United Nations, Governments and National Red Cross Societies) based in Nepal, UK, the Republic of Korea, USA, Italy, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Malaysia, The Gambia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) . Komal was in the ground during the two-major global humanitarian crisis (2014 Ebola Outbreaks and Sahel Extreme Climatic stress in the West Africa and the 2015 Nepal Gorkha Twin Earthquakes).
Komal is currently working as a subject area lead for Global Risk and Resilience Management for the MSc in Project Management and Lecturer in Crisis and Disaster Management for Aston Business School, Aston University, Birmingham. He has been actively working for multiple action based research and knowledge exchange projects with the Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service (United Kingdom), New Taipei City Fire Department, National Civil Defence and Disaster Management Training Institute (NDTI), Ministry of Interior and Security (MOIS), the Republic of Korea, Graduate School of Environmental Studies,Seoul National University, National Science and Technology Centre for Disaster Reduction (NCDR), Smart System Institute of the Institute for Information Industry (SSI- III) Taiwan, Tzu Chi Foundation and Tzu Chi University, School of Health and Society of the University of Salford, United Kingdom, Government of Nepal; and Disaster Management Department of the Nepal Red cross Society. Currently he has been working in partnership with young and mid career disaster risk reduction, response and resilience planning researchers based in Nepal, Bhutan, Taiwan, China and Zimbabwe. Komal was one of the recipients of the ProVention Consortium Grant for Disaster Risk Reduction in 2003 and British Council Young Scientist Networking Award 2007/2008.