Poudel, Durga
Durga Poudel
Dr. Durga Poudel is a professor at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. His research focuses on water quality and nonpoint source pollution control, water quality modeling, climate change adaptation, soil erosion, soil development and productivity, sustainable agriculture, organic farming, roadside vegetation and highway enhancement, wastewater recycling, and farming systems. Dr. Poudel teaches soil science and water quality courses at UL Lafayette. He is the Founder of the Asta-Ja Framework and the Co-founder of the Research and Development Center in Nepal. The Asta-Ja Research and Development Center Nepal is a non-governmental, non-profit organization founded on the conceptual framework of Asta-Ja. In Nepalese, asta-ja means eight-ja. Ja signifies Jal (water), Jamin (land), Jungle (forest), Jadibuti (medicinal and aromatic plants), Janashakti (manpower), Janawar (animals), Jarajuri (agricultural crops, fruits, and vegetables), and Jalabayu (climate) for sustainable development, natural resources conservation and socio-economic transformation of Nepal. He also serves as the Assistant Director at the School of Geosciences and Coordinator of the Environmental Science Program.
“Any student who comes into this field and works hard will be successful down the road.” -Durga Poudel, 2006.
Poudel, D.D. 2021. Asta-Ja Framework: A Peaceful Approach to Food, Water, Climate, and Environmental Security Coupled with Sustainable Economic Development and Social Inclusion in Nepal. Strategic Planning for Energy and the Environment, 39(1–4), 243–318. doi: 10.13052/spee1048-4236.391412
Poudel, D. D., Belbase, K., De Boevre, M., De Saeger, S., & Dahal, P. (2020). Climate Smart Dry Chain for Food and Nutrition Security in Nepal. Strategic Planning for Energy and the Environment, 131-150.
Poudel, D. D., Horwath, W. R., Lanini, W. T., Temple, S. R., & Van Bruggen, A. H. C. (2002). Comparison of soil N availability and leaching potential, crop yields and weeds in organic, low-input and conventional farming systems in northern California. Agriculture, ecosystems & environment, 90(2), 125-137.
Poudel, D. D., Horwath, W. R., Mitchell, J. P., & Temple, S. R. (2001). Impacts of cropping systems on soil nitrogen storage and loss. Agricultural Systems, 68(3), 253-268.
Poudel, D. D., & Duex, T. W. (2017). Vanishing springs in Nepalese mountains: Assessment of water sources, farmers’ perceptions, and climate change adaptation. Mountain Research and Development, 37(1), 35-46.
Like many people in Nepal, Durga Poudel grew up in a small family farming community, where intimate knowledge of natural resources was a prerequisite for survival. The Poudel family’s crop success depended heavily on soil health, so they frequently monitored their soil. “Soil erosion was a major problem on our land,” Dr. Poudel recalls. “I remember that my mother would be sad during the monsoon season because we’d lose so much soil and basically our crops. That was my introduction to the environmental field.”
Dr. Poudel graduated from Nirmal Vocational School in 1977. After graduating high school, Dr. Poudel enrolled in a science program at Tribhuvan University in Nepal. However, his path to and through higher education was neither straightforward nor easy. Dr. Poudel managed to earn a two-year agriculture certificate, but “I dropped out after my first year for various reasons,” he recalls. “Fortunately, I decided to enroll in Agricultural College later, and I was able to get a scholarship to continue my education. Since then, the doors of education have continued to open for me.” Dr. Pudel earned his undergraduate degree with honors from the University of Agriculture Faisalabad in Pakistan in 1987.
Dr. Poudel completed an Interdisciplinary Master’s Degree in natural resources development and management from the Asian Institute of Technology in Bangkok, Thailand, in 1991. He was a research fellow for the Asian Vegetable Research and Development Center (AVRDC) in Taiwan for three years before moving to the United States in 1994 for his doctoral studies. In 1998, Dr. Poudel completed his doctorate in soil science from the University of Georgia-Athens. While at the University of Georgia, Dr. Poudel was a graduate research assistant for the Sustainable Agricultural and Natural Resource Management Collaborative Research Program.
Dr. Poudel began his career in the agricultural field as a junior technical assistant at the Ministry of Food and Agriculture in Nepal. For nearly a year, he visited local villages and assisted farmers in increasing their agricultural productivity through management techniques such as soil management and pest control.
Although he only worked there briefly, Dr. Poudel remains very proud of his work during that period, including setting up 4-H clubs in two villages. “That was the first time that I had the responsibility of working directly with them [farmers], and I knew how much it mattered to them to increase their productivity in terms of food for themselves and their families,” he says. “I felt a real sense of accomplishment.”
Dr. Poudel also worked as a vocational teacher before earning his undergraduate degree from the University of Agriculture. After completing his Ph.D. in 1998, Dr. Poudel was a visiting research scholar for a Sustainable Agriculture Farming Systems Project at the University of California, Davis, for two years.
In 2000, Dr. Poudel accepted a faculty position at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette as Assistant Professor of Soil Science. He continues to work there as a tenured professor, researcher, and director of Agriculture Auxiliary Units, a horticulture center and research farm within the School of Geosciences.
Dr. Poudel is particularly proud of his work there. “We have a 600-acre farm called the Model Sustainable Agricultural Complex,” he explains. “Among other things, it houses beef units, sugar cane crops, small animals, crawfish ponds, and wildlife habitat. The farm also hosts several educational, hands-on events and training for junior high and high school students. The farm also serves as a model for Best Management Practices as they pertain to each agricultural enterprise. “Organic production, permaculture, the Crawfish Research Center, the solar house, and the pig and sheep units are other activities at the farm,” Dr. Poudel notes. “It’s a very diversified place.”
Dr. Poudel also oversees the operation of the Ira Nelson Horticulture Center, where he conducts experiments on plant growth. Dr. Poudel also researches nonpoint source pollution in agricultural watersheds and monitors surface water quality in at least five watersheds near the University of Louisiana.
In 2005 and 2007, he hosted two successful conferences about Louisiana surface water quality, presented in coordination with the Environmental Protection Agency Region 6 and the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality. Dr. Poudel notes that his collaborations with different governmental and non-governmental agencies are a rewarding and continually evolving aspect of his career in science.
One of those ongoing collaborative projects is the Wildflower Seed Bank Project - a joint effort between the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, and several other state universities. “Basically, what we do is collect Louisiana wildflower seeds, increase seeds on plots at the farm, and then plant seeds along highways, scenic byways, interstate medians, and welcome centers to beautify the highways and to promote tourism,” he explains. “These flowers will also prevent soil erosion from roadsides, trap nonpoint source pollutants from the roadway, and minimize mowing costs. This project is the first of its kind in the state. The Louisiana Wildflower Seed Bank will be a great asset for the state and the community.”
Dr. Poudel is the Founder of the Asta-Ja Framework, Asta-Ja meaning eight-Ja, Nepali letter Ja, Jal (water), Jamin (land), Jungle (forest), Jadibuti (medicinal and aromatic plants), Janashakti (manpower), Janawar (animals), Jarajuri (crop plants), and Jalabayu (climate) as resources for sustainable development and management and socio-economic transformation of Nepal. In 2008, he published his first paper outlining the framework.
Dr. Poudel is the Founding Chair of the Asta-Ja Research and Development Center (Asta-Ja RDC Nepal), a non-profit and non-governmental organization headquartered in Kathmandu, Nepal. From 2014 to 2016, Dr. Poudel served as the first president of the Asta-Ja RDC Nepal. The Asta-Ja RDC Nepal has been working with local communities, governmental and non-governmental agencies, private businesses, universities, and other stakeholders on agricultural commercialization, environmental quality, climate change adaptation, resource conservation, and community development in rural Nepal. With Dr. Poudel, faculty and students from the University of Louisiana have visited Nepal for research.
Dr. Poudel says his current work teaching, researching, and community outreach is the highlight of his career. “I’m growing,” he says of his work. The ability to continue growing and asking new questions keeps him at work in the environmental field.
In 2020, Dr. Poudel became assistant editor of the journal Strategic Planning for Energy and the Environment.
Dr. Poudel is now a tenured professor at the University of Louisiana. He is the Board of Regents Professor of Applied Life Sciences.
Dr. Poudel notes that many people have supported his career, including his parents and maternal grandparents, family and friends, supervisors, and teachers who “always encouraged me at different levels throughout my career.” He singles out Dr. David J. Midmore, his supervisor when he worked as a research fellow for the AVRDC, for special praise. Working for Dr. Midmore inspired Dr. Poudel to continue his education and achieve his doctorate. “I learned a lot from him,” he says. Dr. Poudel says that this kind of continuing support has allowed him to achieve so much in his career, including the prestigious position of Regents Professor in Applied Life Sciences South Louisiana Mid-Winter Fair/BORSF and recognition as an Outstanding Professor and Researcher Award issued by the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service.
Dr. Poudel has only words of encouragement for minorities interested in environmental careers. “This field [environment and natural resources] is so fulfilling and challenging,” he says. “It has lots of scientific and technological applications and can be used worldwide. Any student who comes into this field and works hard will be successful down the road. What is needed is hard work, perseverance, a positive attitude, and respect for this planet and its natural resources. These are things that we all need to develop, and I’m confident that any student can do it. In doing so, they can meaningfully contribute to society’s long-term sustainability and environmental quality” (2006).
Durga Poudel. n.d. Home [LinkedIn Page]. LinkedIn. Retrieved July 24, 2023 from https://www.linkedin.com/in/durga-poudel-67b96697/.
Poudel, D.D. 2021. Asta-Ja Framework: A Peaceful Approach to Food, Water, Climate, and Environmental Security Coupled with Sustainable Economic Development and Social Inclusion in Nepal. Strategic Planning for Energy and the Environment, 39(1–4), 243–318. doi: 10.13052/spee1048-4236.391
Taylor, Dorceta (Ed.). 2006. The Paths We Thread: Profiles of the Careers of Minority Environmental Professionals: II. Minority Environmental Leadership Development Initiative, University of Michigan School of Natural Resources and Environment.
University of Louisiana at Lafayette. N.d. Welcome to Durga D. Poudel’s Homepage. Retrieved July 24, 2023 from https://userweb.ucs.louisiana.edu/~ddp5842/.
University of Louisiana at Lafayette. N.d. Resume. https://userweb.ucs.louisiana.edu/~ddp5842/resume.html