The Small Earth Nepal

What The Small Earth Nepal does

The Small Earth Nepal (SEN) is a Kathmandu-based, non-governmental and non-profit organization established in March 2001 that operates at the intersection of climate, water, and environmental research, advocacy, and capacity building in Nepal. Its functional focus is the Himalayan region — frequently referenced as the 'Third Pole' — where it addresses climate-induced risks to water security, livelihoods, and ecosystems through six thematic programs: Research, Awareness Advocacy, Capacity Development, Conservation Education, Climate-Smart Agriculture, and Climate-Induced Disaster Management. SEN's operational vehicles include the Nepal National Water and Weather Week (NNWWW) advocacy platform, which it has secretariated since 2009 and which convenes 45+ governmental, academic, private-sector, and civil-society organizations; the HiM-DATA initiative deploying Automated Weather Stations at high-altitude monasteries to close observational data gaps; the Floating Treatment Wetland System (FTWS) for nature-based urban water remediation at Nagdaha wetland; the Customized Weather and Climate Information System that delivers location-specific 3-day forecasts to farmers via SMS and API; the Waste-to-Energy biogas program serving Raji indigenous households in Karnali; and a portfolio of training programs covering SWAT, HEC-RAS, JAMS J2000, QGIS, Google Earth Engine, and flood data analysis. Underlying technology spans citizen science, AWS instrumentation, hydrological modeling, GIS/remote sensing, and a custom weather forecast API.

SEN's revenue model is that of a project-based non-profit: it does not sell commercial products and has no published pricing tiers. Operating funds flow from international grants and donor programs — UNDP-GEF-SGP, UNEP-CTCN, Asia Pacific Network for Global Change Research (APN), Fulbright Specialist Program, UNESCO, and others — alongside in-kind coordination with government partners (WECS, DHM) and academic co-organizers (Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu University, ICIMOD, IWMI, University of Saskatchewan). Training programs charge nominal registration fees (NPR 500–5,000 per participant). Customers/end-users fall into four segments: government agencies and policymakers (primary), academic and research institutions (primary), local communities and marginalized groups (secondary), and graduate students and eco-clubs (secondary). Distribution is direct, event-driven (workshops, conferences, community projects, webinars) with no commercial channel structure.

Name

The Small Earth Nepal

Legal name

The Small Earth Nepal

Website

https://smallearth.org.np

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Small Earth Nepal (SEN) is a Kathmandu-based non-governmental, non-profit organization, founded in 2001, that conducts climate, water, and cryosphere research, advocacy, and capacity building in the Himalayan region, serving government agencies, universities, farmers, and indigenous communities through grant-funded programs and partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Climate and Environmental Research Services

NAICS

Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241), Administration of Conservation Programs (92412), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (924), Support Activities for Forestry (1153)

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental Monitoring, Data & Reporting (Air/Water/Soil) (BPAIAMAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Land Use, Indigenous & Community Engagement Policy (EUAMANAL), Ecosystem Services & Natural Capital Assessment / Valuation (EUAHAHAI), Avoided Conversion & Ecosystem Protection (REDD+, Blue Carbon Conservation) (EUABABAC)

Keywords

• Climate research services
• Environmental capacity building
• Citizen science programs
• Watershed management solutions
• Climate resilience consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Kathmandu

HQ country

Nepal

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. International Grants and Donor Funding: SEN operates as a non-profit NGO funded primarily through international grants and donor funding from organizations such as the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Global Environment Facility (GEF), Small Grants Programme (SGP), Asia Pacific Network for Global Change Research (APN), Fulbright Specialist Program, UN Environment Programme (UNEP), UNESCO, and others. Revenue is project-based grant funding for specific development and research initiatives.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Small Earth Nepal (SEN) is a non-governmental, non-profit organization that delivers research, advocacy, and capacity-building programs on climate, water, weather, and environmental sustainability. Its core offerings include high-altitude meteorological monitoring via monastery-based Automated Weather Stations (HiM-DATA), a customized 3-day weather forecast service for farmers delivered through API/SMS, nature-based wetland remediation (Floating Treatment Wetland System), biogas Waste-to-Energy systems for indigenous communities, hydrological and GIS training programs, and the Nepal National Water and Weather Week (NNWWW) advocacy platform. Revenue is derived from international grants and donor funding rather than commercial sales.

Product overview

The Small Earth Nepal is a non-governmental research and capacity-building organization that operates a portfolio of climate, water, and environmental initiatives rather than a unified commercial product platform. The main offerings include the Customized Weather and Climate Information System (a forecast dissemination platform), the HiM-DATA project (high-altitude monastery-based climate monitoring), the Floating Treatment Wetland System (water remediation technology), the Waste-to-Energy biogas initiative, the Karnali Region Climate Resilience Program, and the Nepal National Water and Weather Week advocacy platform. These are organized as thematic programs in research, awareness/advocacy, and capacity development, delivered through training workshops, stakeholder consultations, and community engagement rather than as commercial software products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hydrological Modeling and Data Analysis Training Program (SWAT) In-person training program covering hydrological modeling techniques using SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool) and broader data analysis. Targeted at graduate students, early career researchers, and professionals in water resources and hydrology. Registration fee: NPR 3,000/- per participant.
• Flood Data Analysis Training Program Training program on flood data analysis techniques for individual researchers and institutional participants. Targeted at hydrologists, students, and professionals. Registration fee: Rs 500 for individual participants and Rs 5,000 for institutional participants.
• Customized Weather and Climate Information System API-based service that disseminates location-specific customized 3-day weather forecasts to farming communities through mobile SMS and internet channels. Developed under UNEP-CTCN support to support climate-resilient agriculture in Nepal.
• HiM-DATA (High-altitude Monasteries for Data Acquisition, Tracking & Awareness) Research initiative that establishes Automated Weather Stations (AWS) at high-altitude monasteries to fill data gaps in Himalayan climate monitoring. The pilot site is Namkha Khyung Dzong Monastery, Humla, leveraging monastic stewardship for year-round sustainable climate observation.
• Floating Treatment Wetland System (FTWS) Nature-based solution technology that remediates polluted surface water bodies by installing floating treatment wetland rafts populated with wetland plants. Deployed at Nagdaha wetland in Lalitpur under APN funding to demonstrate sustainable green water-body restoration.
• Waste-to-Energy Biogas System for Indigenous Communities Renewable energy service that converts household and toilet wastes into biogas for clean cooking energy. Deployed for 40 Raji indigenous households in Karnali Province under UNDP-GEF-SGP funding to build community capacity for sustainable energy use.
• Nepal National Water and Weather Week (NNWWW) Annual national-level convening platform combining week-long water and weather policy dialogues, research workshops, advocacy events, and awareness activities. SEN has served as the secretariat since 2009, with WECS as chair and over 45 governmental, academic, and civil-society organizations participating.
• Karnali Region Climate Resilience Program Program that builds community resilience through climate information dissemination, leveraging citizen science, technology, and nature-based solutions for resilience building in the changing climate of Nepal's Karnali region.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 45 organizations across government, academia, and civil society participate in the NNWWW network under SEN's secretariat.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

36 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Water and Energy Commission Secretariat (WECS), Government of NepalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWECS co-chairs the Nepal National Water and Weather Week (NNWWW) with SEN and serves as the secretariat chair. WECS and SEN initiated the NNWWW since 2009 to bring together all water stakeholders at a common platform for advocating water issues in Nepal.
• Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (DHM), NepalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDHM is a key government partner collaborating with SEN on weather monitoring, NNWWW events, and the International Conference on Mountain Hydrology and Cryosphere (ICMHC).
• Tribhuvan University (TU) - Central Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (CDHM) and CDEScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCDHM at TU co-organizes ICMHC 2023 with SEN and hosts training programs including SWAT hydrological modeling training. CDES also co-organizes ICMHC. SEN has conducted programs at TU since 2013.
• International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICIMOD co-organizes ICMHC 2023 and collaborated on the Living Mountain Lab educational visit during NNWWW 2024. ICIMOD provides the Living Mountain Lab facility at Godavari for educational programs.
• Kathmandu University (KU) - HiCCDRCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHiCCDRC at KU is a co-organizer of ICMHC 2023, collaborating with SEN on mountain hydrology and cryosphere research conferences.
• UNESCO NepalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNESCO co-organizes ICMHC 2023 and the LEVO project (Landslide Environmental Virtual Observatories) with SEN. UNESCO is also a partner in STEM workshops and youth engagement programs.
• International Water Management Institute (IWMI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIWMI co-organizes ICMHC 2023 with SEN, contributing expertise in water resource management and climate adaptation research.
• International Association of Hydrological Sciences (IAHS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIAHS, through its Nepal committee, organizes ICMHC 2023 with SEN and KU. Selected peer-reviewed papers from the conference are published in Proceedings of IAHS (PIAHS).
• Society of Hydrologists and Meteorologists (SOHAM) - NepalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSOHAM co-organizes NNWWW events, flood data analysis training, and ICMHC 2023 with SEN. SOHAM is a key Nepal-based professional partner in hydrology and meteorology.
• University of Saskatchewan - Global Water Future (GWF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGWF of University of Saskatchewan co-organizes ICMHC 2023 and collaborated on a talk program by Dr. Caroline Aubrey-Wake on glacier retreat research.
• Center for Research for Environment, Energy and Water (CREEW), NepalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCREEW is an associated partner of ICMHC 2023 and co-organized a talk program on glaciers with SEN in November 2022.
• Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNAST is an associated partner of ICMHC 2023 and supported the Flood Data Analysis Training and Wetlands Day activities at Nagdaha.
• Water and Energy Commission Secretariat (WECS)/GoNcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWECS chairs NNWWW, the national-level network of water stakeholders initiated in 2009 with SEN as secretariat.
• Wetlands for Nepal (WfN)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerWfN collaborated with SEN in celebrating World Wetlands Day 2023 at Nagdaha, discussing sediment retention systems to mitigate sedimentation.
• Bird Conservation Nepal (BCN)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerBCN partnered with SEN for World Wetlands Day 2023 at Nagdaha, emphasizing sustainable and environmentally friendly restoration measures.
• Lalitpur Metropolitan City Ward No. 24coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWard No. 24 closely coordinated with SEN for World Wetlands Day 2024 at Nagdaha and the FTWS policy workshop, with the Mayor of Lalitpur Metropolitan City as chief guest.
• Risk Management Solutions Inc. (RMSI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRMSI organized the community workshop on weather forecasts in Sarlahi under the UNEP-CTCN project, with SEN providing technical support. RMSI demonstrated the API for location-specific weather forecasts.
• KP Byawasayik Sewa P. Ltd. (KPBS)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerKPBS is the local implementation partner for the Waste-to-Energy project for Raji indigenous communities in Karnali Province, working directly with SEN as project proponent.
• Amrita University, IndiasupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a partner institution on SEN's website, indicating collaboration in academic and research activities.
• Nagoya University, JapansupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a partner institution on SEN's website, indicating collaboration in academic and research activities.
• University of Manitoba, CanadasupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a partner institution on SEN's website, indicating collaboration in academic and research activities.
• University of Saskatchewan, CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGWF at University of Saskatchewan co-organizes ICMHC 2023 and collaborated on glacier research programs with SEN.
• University of Dhaka, BangladeshsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSEN conducted a learning and sharing visit to University of Dhaka, Bangladesh in January 2023, indicating academic collaboration.
• Central University of Rajasthan, IndiasupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSEN participated in a final sharing workshop at the Central University of Rajasthan, India in February 2024, indicating academic collaboration.
• Royal University of Bhutan / Ministry of Home Affairs, BhutansupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as partner institutions on SEN's website, indicating regional collaboration in the Himalayan region.
• UNESCO-IHE (now IHE Delft), NetherlandssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a partner institution on SEN's website, indicating collaboration in water and environmental education.
• Nepal Development Research Institute (NDRI)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerNDRI co-organized the STEM workshop with Dr. Juan Arratia in 2024 alongside SEN, APN, Fulbright, TU, and UNESCO.
• HEI Fer NepalsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a partner institution on SEN's website.
• KIRDARC NepalsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a partner institution on SEN's website, indicating collaboration in development and research activities.
• Sustainability and Environmental Studies Endeavor (SENSE)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSENSE co-organized World Wetlands Day 2023 at Nagdaha with SEN and other partners.
• Nature Conservation and Research Hub (NCRH)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerNCRH co-organized World Wetlands Day 2023 at Nagdaha with SEN and other partners.
• Nagdaha United Club (NUC)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerNUC co-organized World Wetlands Day 2023 at Nagdaha with SEN and other partners.
• International Center for Water Resources and Global Change (ICWRGC)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerICWRGC is an associated partner of ICMHC 2023, listed on SEN's website.
• Water Resources Research and Development Centre (WRRDC)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerWRRDC is an associated partner of ICMHC 2023, listed on SEN's website.
• Universal Engineering and Science College (UESC)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerUESC co-organized QGIS training, flood data analysis training, and the STEM talk program with SEN.
• Namkha Khyung Dzong Monastery, HumlacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe monastery is the pilot site for the HiM-DATA project's AWS installation, providing year-round occupancy and community stewardship for high-altitude climate monitoring.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD): ICIMOD is an intergovernmental Himalayan knowledge centre covering mountain hydrology, cryosphere, and climate — the same core domain as SEN. It is a core partner of SEN on ICMHC and NNWWW, but also a substantially larger competitor for the same donor funding and policy influence.
• Society of Hydrologists and Meteorologists (SOHAM): SOHAM is the principal Nepal-based professional society for hydrologists and meteorologists, co-organizing NNWWW, flood data analysis training, and ICMHC with SEN. It is a peer in capacity-building and community engagement in the same Nepali hydrology community.
• Center for Research for Environment, Energy and Water (CREEW): CREEW is a Nepal-based research organization focused on environment, energy, and water — a direct thematic peer to SEN. It is listed as an associated partner of ICMHC and collaborates on glacier research events.
• ForestAction Nepal: ForestAction is a Nepal-based NGO conducting action research on forestry, climate, and community-based natural resource management — directly comparable to SEN in mission, method, and country focus.

Broad incumbents

• Practical Action Nepal: Practical Action is an international NGO with a Nepal country office working on climate-resilient agriculture, water security, and disaster risk reduction — overlapping directly with SEN's climate-resilience and community programs but at a larger organizational scale.
• International Water Management Institute (IWMI): IWMI is a CGIAR research institute working on water resource management and climate adaptation across South Asia. It co-organizes ICMHC with SEN and operates in overlapping water-and-climate research space, but at a global scale with much larger budgets.
• Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (DHM), Nepal: DHM is the Government of Nepal's national meteorological and hydrological agency — a key partner of SEN's, but also a potential competitor and substitute for the weather-data and forecasting services SEN develops through its UNEP-CTCN project.

Regional players

• Bird Conservation Nepal: Bird Conservation Nepal is a Nepal-based conservation NGO that partners with SEN on World Wetlands Day at Nagdaha. It is a peer in environmental NGO operations and wetland conservation, though with a biodiversity rather than hydrology focus.
• Clean Energy Nepal: Clean Energy Nepal is a Kathmandu-based NGO focused on renewable energy, climate policy, and sustainable development — comparable in advocacy and capacity-building mode and overlapping with SEN's Waste-to-Energy and climate programs.

Others

• International Association of Hydrological Sciences (IAHS): IAHS is a global scientific association that publishes peer-reviewed proceedings from SEN's ICMHC conference. It is a peer and enabler in the international hydrology research community rather than a direct operational competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/TheSmallEarthNepal
• Xx.com/Small_Earth
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-small-earth-nepal

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The Small Earth Nepal