Bhawana is a Research Fellow at the Centre for Human Factors and Sociotechnical Systems. She is involved in various projects; however, her current focus is on a project that aims to enhance the safety and security of gig economy workers, specifically food delivery riders. 

She has a background in natural resource management and was awarded a Research Training Programme scholarship by the University of the Sunshine Coast (USC) for her PhD, which was completed in January 2021. Bhawana was also awarded the World Bank Graduate scholarship and holds dual Master’s degrees in rural development, and remote sensing and GIS with a specialisation in natural resources. 

She has worked with government and global organisations (e.g., CARE International Nepal and Practical Action) and managed diverse teams supporting policy formulation and advocacy for sustainable natural resource management, rural livelihoods, and resilient communities. She has extensive field experience engaging with rural communities along with multiple stakeholders in leading international development projects in developing countries. She has expertise in designing, managing, coordinating, and implementing large-scale projects. 

Publications

K C, B., Race, D., Fisher, R., & Jackson, W. (2021). Changing Rural Livelihoods and Forest Use Transition in the Middle Hills of Nepal. Small-Scale Forestry, 20(3), 479–501. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11842-021-09477-6 

K C, B., & Race, D. (2020a). Outmigration and land-use change : A case study from the middle hills of Nepal. Land, 9(2), 1–19.

K C, B., & Race, D. (2020b). Women’s approach to farming in the context of feminization of agriculture: A case study from the middle hills of Nepal. World Development Perspectives, 20(June), 100260. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wdp.2020.100260 

K. C, B., Wang, T., & Gentle, P. (2017). Internal Migration and Land Use and Land Cover Changes in the Middle Mountains of Nepal. Mountain Research and Development, 37(4), 446–455.