Saurav Dhakal

I’m a sustainability advocate, climate communicator, and social entrepreneur based in Nepal. I serve as the Director of Sustainable Growth and Innovation at StoryCycle+, where I lead the T.E.A. Strategy—an integrated model combining Tourism, Energy, and Agriculture to foster community resilience and regenerative livelihoods.

StoryCycle+ was born from the merger of StoryCycle Inc., Green Growth Group, and Nepal Infopark, bringing together storytelling, environmental innovation, and digital infrastructure to co-create scalable solutions for climate resilience, sustainable development, and local economic empowerment.

I also curate Karesa—a movement dedicated to promoting urban farming, permaculture, and circular food systems. Karesa connects consumers with producers while empowering rural and peri-urban women entrepreneurs through sustainable agriculture, local production, and digital traceability. It’s a living example of how communities can feed themselves while restoring ecosystems and economic agency.

In parallel, I lead the Carbon Footprint Mapping for Nepal’s Craft Sector, a project that measures emissions across the lifecycle of traditional handmade goods. The initiative equips artisans with data to shift toward low-carbon production models and opens new doors to green financing, ethical supply chains, and climate-smart entrepreneurship.

I also work as a Communication Consultant with the University of Groningen, helping researchers translate complex science into accessible, human-centered narratives. In collaboration with the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, I co-developed a MOOC on Himalayan Sustainability, which integrates indigenous knowledge, systems thinking, and climate science.

As a former Research Fellow at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), I worked on carbon footprint assessments of local markets in Nepal and Thailand—aligning climate data with small-scale economic systems. This applied research helped deepen my understanding of how grassroots enterprises can contribute meaningfully to global climate goals.

A pivotal moment in my journey was my 99-day trek across the Great Himalayan Trail (GHT)—an experience that reshaped how I approach development and communication. It inspired me to launch StoryCamps, immersive workshops that blend digital storytelling and participatory mapping to elevate community voices and climate leadership at the local level.

My fieldwork and media collaborations have taken me from mapping high-altitude ecosystems with Google Earth Outreach in the Everest region to co-creating impact stories across Nepal’s most climate-vulnerable zones. These initiatives use media, maps, and local memory to amplify underrepresented narratives and drive inclusive change.

I’ve also had the privilege to mentor youth in global innovation and climate action programs. I’ve coached changemakers through the British Council’s “In Our Hands” initiative and led the Youth Cohort on Green Solutions in Euless, Texas—both focused on nature-based entrepreneurship and inclusive innovation. My approach to mentorship centers on well-being (self), inclusivity (society), and resourcefulness (nature).

Personally, I live by the values I advocate. I cycle daily, promote local production, practice the 4Rs (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Refuse), and lead urban greenery campaigns to promote nature-based solutions and city biodiversity.

Over the years, my contributions have been recognized through multiple honors, including:

• British Council International Climate Champion (2011)
• South Asian Climate Change Award (SACCA, 2012)
• Founding Member, Ashoka Nepal Forum for Young Social Entrepreneurs (2007)

My work today is rooted in the belief that real progress lies in restoring natural capital, revitalizing community economies, and ensuring economic democracy. I aim to create spaces where climate action is community-led, deeply local, and inherently just.

Through StoryCycle+ and its interconnected platforms, I continue to build bridges between science and society, tradition and innovation, and local stories and global systems—contributing toward a regenerative future for Nepal and the Himalayan region.