Ajaya Dixit

Ajaya Dixit is a civil engineer and water expert who completed his engineering education in India. He began his professional career working at the Ministry of Physical Planning before transitioning to academia, where he taught water science, fluid mechanics, and hydraulics at an engineering institute. Dedicated to simplifying complex scientific concepts for his students, he authored the book Basic Hydraulics in the mid-1980s, typing and printing it himself. He also wrote the book Basic Water Science, which included a survey and mapping of traditional stone spouts in Kathmandu and Patan.

Over his career, Dixit transitioned from a pure engineer to a multidisciplinary water scholar, incorporating social, environmental, and gender dimensions into his analysis of water systems. Since 1995, he has focused on climate change and human adaptation, conducting research on the Ganges, Meghna, and Brahmaputra basins. A long-time advocate for sustainable practices, he pioneered rainwater harvesting promotion in Nepal during the 1990s and launched Sonas, a South Asian river dialogue platform, during the lockdown to foster collaborative reflections on water resources.