About
Suman Sanjel
Geospatial systems developer and consultant for air quality, Earth observation and climate-risk decision support
I'm a geospatial and environmental-data professional based in Kathmandu with more than seven years of experience delivering web applications, scientific data platforms and decision-support products for climate resilience, disaster risk reduction, agriculture and air quality.
Five of those years were at ICIMOD (International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development), where I designed and deployed the air-quality database and dashboards for the HKH region, Nepal and Bangladesh, supported WRF-Chem and HYSPLIT dust-forecast runs on HPC clusters, and built and maintained Tethys decision-support applications, including agricultural drought watch, HIWAT high-impact weather assessment, and flash-flood and streamflow prediction tools, for Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
At RIMES (Regional Integrated Multi-hazard Early Warning System) I built regional data products for the World Bank CARE project: Land Cover Change Analytics, the Temperature Sensitivity Alert System (TEMPs) and a fallow-land product, and supported ADVISE, an agricultural weather decision-support system, demonstrating them at RDAS community-engagement workshops in Nepal, Pakistan and Bangkok.
Today I develop a geospatial system for a parametric insurance initiative funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation at Seed Innovations, take on independent geospatial projects, and teach Multivariate Geo-Statistics and Geoinformatics as visiting faculty at Kathmandu University. I work across the whole product lifecycle, from requirements and solution design to deployment, documentation, training and operational support, and I created ol-plus, an open-source plugin that extends OpenLayers with data-visualisation capabilities.
Kathmandu, Nepal · Asia/Kathmandu (GMT+5:45)
- years in geospatial and environmental systems
- 7+
- years at ICIMOD building air-quality and climate decision-support platforms
- 5
- countries with deployed decision-support systems: Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Pakistan, Afghanistan
- 5
- co-authored publications on flood mapping and land-cover change
- 2
Experience
– Present
Visiting Faculty
Kathmandu University, Department of Geomatics Engineering · Dhulikhel, Nepal
- Teach Multivariate Geo-Statistics to Master's students in the Geoinformatics programme.
- Teach Geoinformatics, covering core geospatial data analysis and modelling concepts.
- Design course content, assignments and practical sessions that connect statistical methods with real-world geospatial applications.
- Teaching
- Multivariate Geo-Statistics
- Geoinformatics
– Present
Geospatial System Development Expert
Seed Innovations Pvt. Ltd. · Patan, Lalitpur, Nepal
- Develop a geospatial system for a parametric insurance initiative funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation.
- Translate project needs into data workflows, analytical components and user-facing geospatial functionality.
- Coordinate technical implementation and delivery with the project team and provide supporting documentation.
- Product delivery
- Geospatial systems
- Python
- Web GIS
- Spatial data
– Present
Freelance geospatial analysis, visualisation and system development
Independent GIS Consultant · Kathmandu, Nepal (remote)
- Delivered geospatial dashboards and analytics for land use, forestry and climate-related applications in South Asia.
- Cleaned, quality-checked and integrated field survey data with remote-sensing and model datasets.
- Designed web-based visualisation and decision-support tools for land-use change, vegetation dynamics and climate indicators.
- Supported early-warning and decision-support workflows through spatial analysis and map-based reporting.
- Python
- QGIS
- Google Earth Engine
- PostgreSQL/PostGIS
- Web GIS
- Remote sensing
–
Data Visualization Expert
RIMES (Regional Integrated Multi-hazard Early Warning System) · AIT Campus, Pathumthani, Thailand
- Scoped and delivered regional decision-support data products for the World Bank CARE project, working with distributed teams and users across South Asia.
- Developed the Land Cover Change Analytics product and the Temperature Sensitivity Alert System (TEMPs), integrating model, satellite and ground-based datasets.
- Developed a fallow-land product for South Asia with web visualisation, and supported ADVISE, an agricultural weather decision-support system.
- Demonstrated products and gathered feedback through RDAS community-engagement workshops in Nepal, Pakistan and Bangkok.
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- Coordinated requirements, data processing, interface development, deployment support and stakeholder communication for regional users.
- Google Earth Engine
- Python
- PostgreSQL/PostGIS
- GeoServer
- Next.js
- React
- LULC
- DSS development
–
Air Quality Application Development Associate
ICIMOD (International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development) · Khumaltar, Lalitpur, Nepal
- Led technical delivery and operational support for the HKH, Nepal and Bangladesh air-quality monitoring systems, integrating ground observations, satellite products and model outputs into operational dashboards.
- Designed, developed and deployed the air-quality database and decision-support dashboard, with automation scripts for data ingestion, processing and QA/QC.
- Worked on HPC clusters running the WRF-Chem atmospheric model and the HYSPLIT dust forecast, supporting model execution, monitoring and runtime troubleshooting.
- Built real-time visualisations of ground air-quality observations for the Khumaltar, Thimphu and CST Bhutan stations.
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- Managed Linux application servers supporting production air-quality dashboards and modelling infrastructure.
- Coordinated with the SERVIR Science Coordination Office, NASA AST teams and Regional Member Countries on remote-sensing products, model workflows, Git workflows, workshops and training; demonstrated the HKH Air Quality Dashboard to stakeholders.
- WRF-Chem
- HYSPLIT
- HPC
- Linux
- Python
- PostgreSQL
- Google Earth Engine
- Tethys
- THREDDS Data Server
- GeoServer
- Git
–
Geospatial Programmer (Full-Time Consultant)
ICIMOD (International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development) · Khumaltar, Lalitpur, Nepal
- Delivered and enhanced scientific decision-support products across Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Pakistan: agricultural drought watch, HIWAT high-impact weather assessment, flash-flood and streamflow prediction, and the Agricultural and Climate Information System for Pakistan.
- Worked with scientists and country teams to refine use cases, integrate new model and remote-sensing datasets (including emission data), add analytics and controls, and improve dashboard UI/UX.
- Assessed technical feasibility, processed model and geospatial data, and coordinated releases and operational maintenance through Git-based workflows.
- Google Earth Engine
- Tethys
- THREDDS Data Server
- GeoServer
- PostgreSQL/PostGIS
- Python
- Vue.js
- Git
–
Geospatial Programmer / Application Developer (SSA)
ICIMOD (International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development) · Khumaltar, Lalitpur, Nepal
- Developed and deployed dozens of Tethys web applications, including a watershed characterisation system for Afghanistan and national agricultural drought-watch systems for Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan.
- Built automated ETL workflows and visualisation services for satellite, model and observation data using Google Earth Engine, NetCDF/HDF, THREDDS and PostGIS.
- Installed and operationalised a THREDDS Data Server for serving multidimensional scientific datasets.
- Collaborated with regional specialists on application requirements, technical design, testing, deployment and user support.
- Google Earth Engine
- PostgreSQL/PostGIS
- Tethys
- THREDDS Data Server
- GeoServer
- Python
- NetCDF
- HDF
- Vue.js
–
GIS Developer
Pathway Technologies and Services · Thapathali, Kathmandu, Nepal
- Delivered web-GIS products from system analysis and requirements through design, development, testing and deployment, including the Incident Reporting System for Nepal Police, a Municipal Energy Planning Tool, and municipal profiling applications for several municipalities.
- Built spatial database structures and geoservices supporting analytical mapping and dashboard-based decision-support workflows.
- Carried out a UAV survey in Khotang, Nepal: DEM generation, point cloud and orthomosaic.
- Prepared requirements and design documents and tested applications across browsers for a consistent user experience.
- PostgreSQL/PostGIS
- GeoServer
- Apache Tomcat
- Vue.js
- GeoDjango
- GeoODK
- UAV
–
Intern
Pathway Technologies and Services · Thapathali, Kathmandu, Nepal
- Developed a web-GIS household information system for Gaushala Municipality.
- Designed the database and migrated ODK survey data into it; built data visualisations.
- PostgreSQL/PostGIS
- GeoServer
- GeoDjango
- GeoODK
Education
Master in Geoinformatics
Nepal Open University · Manbhawan, Lalitpur, Nepal
2026
Bachelor of Engineering in Geomatics Engineering (thesis: Developing a Web-GIS Application for Road Planning)
Kathmandu University · Dhulikhel, Nepal
2018
Higher Secondary (Computer Science)
Milestone International Higher Secondary School · Balkumari, Lalitpur, Nepal
2014
School Leaving Certificate (SLC)
Lalitpur Secondary Boarding School · Lagankhel, Lalitpur, Nepal
2012
Skills & tools
Product delivery
- Requirements analysis
- Scope definition and use cases
- Solution design
- Delivery coordination
- Testing and deployment
- Documentation
- Training
- Operational support
Stakeholder collaboration
- Government and scientific partners
- Distributed regional teams
- Technical workshops
- User demonstrations
- Written and verbal reporting
Atmospheric and air-quality modelling
- WRF-Chem
- HYSPLIT dust forecasting
- Emission inventories
- Baseline and scenario simulation support
- Model output evaluation
Geospatial and Earth observation
- Google Earth Engine (JavaScript and Python API)
- QGIS
- ArcGIS
- GDAL
- ENVI
- SNAP
- Pix4D
- Optical and microwave remote sensing
- UAV mapping (DEM, point cloud, orthomosaic)
Web applications and visualisation
- Tethys Platform
- React
- Next.js
- Vue.js
- Django / Django REST Framework
- GeoDjango
- OpenLayers (author of ol-plus)
- GeoServer
- THREDDS Data Server
- ncWMS
- MapFish Print 3
- GeoNode
- R Shiny
- Flutter
Programming
- Python (NumPy, Pandas, xarray, Matplotlib)
- JavaScript
- TypeScript
- SQL
- R
- C / C++
- Java
- Dart
Data systems and scientific formats
- PostgreSQL/PostGIS
- MySQL
- SQLite
- ETL automation
- APIs
- Data QA/QC
- NetCDF
- HDF
- GRIB
- GeoTIFF
- CDO
- NCO
- Panoply
- Ncview
- HDFView
Infrastructure
- Linux server operations (Ubuntu, CentOS, SELinux)
- HPC batch jobs and troubleshooting
- Apache Tomcat
- Cron jobs
- Production application support
Collaboration and field tools
- Git
- GitHub
- GitLab
- ODK / GeoODK
- Figma
- LaTeX
Climate and risk applications
- Early warning
- Drought
- Flood
- Severe weather
- Agriculture
- Land cover
- Air quality
- Parametric insurance
- Environmental decision support
Publications, training & demonstrations
Publications
Time series flood mapping using the Copernicus dataset in Google Earth Engine of the Mountainous Region
Data in Brief, 112010 (Thapa, N.; Nepali, S.; Shrestha, R.; Sanjel, S.) · 2025
Land Cover Change Before and After the Sendai Framework of Disaster Risk Reduction
SSRN Electronic Journal (Pant, P.; Thapa, N.; Nepali, S.; Sanjel, S.) · 2024
Training
Air quality monitoring and prediction using Earth observation and numerical modelling techniques (6-10 May)
Training on integrating Earth observation data with numerical/chemical transport modelling for air-quality assessment · 2024
Air Pollution Emission Inventory (6-7 April)
Training on compiling and structuring emission inventories for air-quality modelling · 2023
Two-week online training on Tethys: Tethys production and Google Earth Engine Python API (13-24 July)
Online · 2020
One-week Tethys training: Tethys 2 to 3 conversion, Google Earth Engine Python API, THREDDS Data Server (24-28 February)
RCMRD, Nairobi, Kenya · 2020
Demonstrations
Product demonstrations and feedback sessions: Land Cover Change Analytics, Temperature Sensitivity Alert System (TEMPs) and the fallow-land product at RDAS community-engagement workshops in Nepal, Pakistan and Bangkok
RIMES, World Bank CARE project · 2025
HKH Air Quality Dashboard demonstrations to stakeholders
ICIMOD · 2024
Languages
Nepali · English · Hindi
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