CIRDAP – Enabling Rural Communities

Centre on Integrated Rural Development for Asia and the Pacific (CIRDAP)

An Intergovernmental & Autonomous Organization; Established in 1979, Mandated for Promoting & Strengthening Integrated Rural Development Systems for 15 Asia-Pacific Countries; Namely Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Fiji, India, Indonesia, IR Iran, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand & Vietnam.

Author name: CIRDAP

Experts, List-1

Dr. Monirul Islam

Dr. Monirul Islam Job Title: Name of Organization: Email: Deputy Director Rural Development Academy (RDA), Bogura drislamrda@gmail.com Five (5) Areas of your Expertise Agro-processing and post-harvest technology Food safety, quality assurance, and product development Agricultural value-chain and rural enterprise development Small-scale food processing and entrepreneurship development Climate-resilient apiculture, queen-bee breeding, and bee-based livelihoods Education: Ph.D. in Agroproducts Processing & Utilization – Institute of Food Science & Technology, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China, 2023 M. Engg. in Food Science and Engineering – School of Food Science and Technology, Jinagnan University, Wuxi, China, 2019 BSc Food Engineering – Department of Food Technology and Rural Industries, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, 2012 Address: Rural Development Academy Campus, Bogura-5842, Flat# F7, Bangladesh Country: Bangladesh Phone: +880 1737-814597 Full Details (CV): Click Here

Latest News, Trending Today

CIRDAP Knowledge Series – 64: Webinar to celebrate International Year of Women Farmers 2026

Theme: Women in Value Chains and Agri-Food Systems Transformation. On the occasion of the International Year of the Woman Farmer (IYWF) 2026, the Asia-Pacific Association of Agricultural Research Institutions (APAARI) and the Centre on Integrated Rural Development for Asia and the Pacific (CIRDAP), in collaboration with ARINEENA, CACAARI, AFRAS, and FARA, are jointly organizing a webinar series to highlight and advance the vital contributions of women farmers to sustainable and resilient agri-food systems. As part of this initiative, CIRDAP Knowledge Series – 64 will feature a webinar: Women in Value Chains and Agri-Food Systems Transformation 📅 Date: 29 September 2026 🕒 Time: 3:00 PM (Bangkok Time) | 2:00 PM (Dhaka Time) 💻 Platform: Zoom The United Nations has designated 2026 as the International Year of the Woman Farmer, providing a global platform to recognize the indispensable contributions of women across agri-food systems—from production and processing to marketing, trade, and entrepreneurship. Despite their significant contributions to food security, nutrition, rural livelihoods, and economic resilience, women farmers continue to face persistent barriers, including limited access to land and tenure rights, finance, technology, markets, agricultural services, education, and decision-making opportunities. IYWF 2026 seeks to turn recognition into action by raising global awareness, promoting inclusive policies, and advancing practical solutions to close gender gaps and strengthen the livelihoods, leadership, and resilience of women farmers. This webinar will provide an opportunity for experts, practitioners, policymakers, researchers, and development stakeholders to exchange experiences, explore emerging opportunities, and discuss pathways for strengthening women’s participation and leadership across agricultural value chains and transforming agri-food systems. Join us in recognizing, empowering, and investing in the women who help feed the world. 🔗 Registration Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/CisU-ZeARJWW70qXc_TjEA#/registration Note: After registration, participants will receive a confirmation email containing the meeting link to join the webinar.   We look forward to your active participation and support in making this global conversation a meaningful step towards more inclusive, equitable, and transformative agri-food systems.

Latest News, Trending Today

Webinar Announcement: CIRDAP Knowledge Series – 63: Webinar on ‘What Makes Rural Development Programmes Successful? Learning from Experiences’

CIRDAP–PRDIS, India Collaborative Webinar 🌾 From Policies to People: What Really Makes Rural Development Work? Rural development is not simply about economic growth, it is about building resilient communities, strengthening livelihoods, ensuring food and nutrition security, protecting ecosystems, and leaving no one behind. Drawing on diverse field experiences, grassroots interventions, and rural development programmes, this webinar will explore the critical factors that turn development initiatives into lasting results with – 🎙️ ESTEEMED SPEAKER Prof. S. V. ReddyAgricultural Extension & Rural Development Specialist President & Executive DirectorParticipatory Rural Development Initiatives Society (PRDIS), Hyderabad, India Former Professor of Agricultural ExtensionANGRAU Advisor, Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and FisheriesGovernment of Uganda Consultant: World Bank | FAO 📅 DATE & TIME Tuesday, 17 September 2026🕚 11:00 AM Bangladesh Time10:30 AM India Time 💻 JOIN THE WEBINAR Zoom Meeting Meeting ID: 971 5572 7697Passcode: 352764 Join Zoom Meeting Key Insights the Webinar Will Explore 🔹 Community Ownership & Participation – Putting rural communities at the heart of development 🔹 Strong Institutions & Local Leadership – Building institutions that can deliver and sustain results 🔹 Context-Specific Approaches – Adapting programmes to local needs, realities, and capacities 🔹 Inclusion of Vulnerable Communities – Ensuring marginalized groups benefit meaningfully from development 🔹 Good Governance & Accountability – Strengthening transparency, responsiveness, and trust 🔹 Sustainable Financial Inclusion – Expanding access to appropriate financial opportunities and services 🔹 Convergence & Strategic Partnerships – Bringing together government, civil society, communities, development partners, and other stakeholders Why Join? Gain practical perspectives on what works, what sustains, and what makes rural development programmes successful—and discover lessons that can inform the design and implementation of more inclusive, effective, and sustainable rural development initiatives. Be Part of the Conversation! Learn from experience. Discover what works. Strengthen rural development. CIRDAP – Centre on Integrated Rural Development for Asia and the Pacificin collaboration with Participatory Rural Development Initiatives Society (PRDIS), India

Experts, List-1

Prof. (Dr.) Manas Mohan Adhikary

Prof. (Dr.) Manas Mohan Adhikary Job Title: Name of Organization: Email: Retired University Professor; Former Vice-Chancellor Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya (BCKV), West Bengal, India dradhikary@gmail.com Areas of your Expertise Agricultural Extension Education and Extension Advisory Services; Agricultural Communication, ICT and Digital Agricultural Extension; Extension Systems, Planning, Management and Institutional Development; Climate-Smart and Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development; and Gender-Responsive Agricultural Extension and Women’s Empowerment. Address: B-2/289 (Near Shib Mandir) PO: Kalyani, Dist: Nadia, West Bengal, India – 741235 Country: India Phone: +919433010699/ +919830006996 Full Details (CV): Click Here

Experts, List-1

Tarak Aziz

Mr. Tarak Aziz Job Title: Name of Organization: Email: Geographic Information System (GIS) Administrator City of Orangeburg, SC, United States and NASA lifeline Earth Review Board (ERB) Expert tarakaziz1995@gmail.com Five (5) Areas of your Expertise Geo-informatics for Rural Development (GIS, Remote Sensing & Earth Observation) Disaster Risk Reduction and Multi-Hazard Risk Assessment Climate Change Adaptation, Flood Risk and Coastal Resilience Humanitarian Geospatial Analytics and Decision Support Climate-Resilient Livelihoods, Food Security and Disaster Risk Financing Education: Master of Science in Geography (Concentration in Geography and GIScience) – Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas Master in Disaster Management (Concentration in GIS and Natural Hazards) – University of Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh Bachelor of Disaster Management – University of Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh   Awards and Recognition: ESRI Special Service in GIS (SAG) 2026 Award – July 2026Helen DeVitt Jones Fellowship, Texas Tech University – Mar 2022National Science and Technology (NST) Fellowship –  Aug 2022Bangladesh Sweden Trust Fund – Mar 2023 Address: 4836 Misty Pine Ln, Orangeburg, SC, United States Country: Bangladesh Phone: +1 8067870069, +880 1515244351 Full Details (CV): Click Here

Latest News

Webinar Announcement: Climate-Informed Seasonal Flood Forecasting for Strengthening Rural Livelihood Resilience (August 25, 2026)

You are cordially invited to join another exciting collaborative Webinar in the CIRDAP Knowledge series, 2026, titled: ‘Climate -Informed Seasonal Flood Forecasting for Strengthening Rural Livelihood Resilience in Bangladesh’.  Date: (Tuesday), August 25, 2026, at 11 am Bangladesh Time. Dr. Rashed Chowdhury, Applications Scientist, Independent Consultant || Water, Climate, & Society; Adjunct Faculty—Arizona State University || USA, will be graced as an esteemed speaker. Abstract of the talk Bangladesh’s rural communities are highly vulnerable to seasonal flooding, which threatens agriculture, food security, and livelihoods. Existing flood forecasting systems provide reliable short-term warnings but offer limited support for seasonal agricultural planning and rural development. The webinar will be focused on developing climate-informed seasonal forecasts by integrating large-scale climate drivers, including the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO), the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD), and the Madden–Julian Oscillation (MJO), to predict monsoon rainfall and flood risk months in advance. The resulting seasonal outlooks will support informed decisions on crop planning, resource management, and disaster preparedness, strengthening rural resilience and reducing climate-related losses in Bangladesh. Webinar Link Topic: Webinar on ‘Climate-Informed Seasonal Flood Forecasting for Strengthening Rural Livelihood Resilience in Bangladesh’ Time: Aug 25, 2026 11:00 AM Dhaka Join Zoom Meeting https://zoom.us/j/98216039450?pwd=vQ7kSj0SIiDgqF7xJwqz6rPBucsUnX.1 View meeting insights https://zoom.us/launch/edl?muid=f66efe2d-1eb5-471a-9dd3-d0ddd2261dc6 Meeting ID: 982 1603 9450 Passcode: 977412 — Join by SIP • 98216039450@zoomcrc.com Join instructions https://zoom.us/meetings/98216039450/invitations?signature=5LicuVNQQdYB7qAmeivY9ptzPuvzCiLhBxGe-oDbpOM

Latest News

Transforming Rural Landscapes: CIRDAP and PIDF Launch International Online Training Programme on AI for Rural Development

Artificial Intelligence is reshaping the world, and it is time to bring its power to our rural communities. The Centre on Integrated Rural Development for Asia and the Pacific (CIRDAP) and the Pacific Islands Development Forum (PIDF) invite you to a premier collaborative international online training programme. 🌟 Programme Highlights Artificial Intelligence is no longer just for tech hubs. This intensive three day programme focuses on practical, ethical, and sustainable AI deployment specifically tailored for rural ecosystems and low connectivity environments.• Dates: 18 to 20 August 2026• Mode: Online via Zoom• Schedule: 2 sessions per day (90 minutes each, total 3 hours per day)• Registration Deadline: 10 August 2026, Free (Registration required) 🔑 Key Themes Covered• Foundations of AI and global policy trends• Rural data readiness and predictive planning• AI in agriculture, climate, healthcare, and education• Deployment architectures for low connectivity environments• Responsible AI, ethical governance, and community engagement• Actionable capstone exercise for field level execution 👥 Who Should ParticipateThis programme is designed for policymakers and government officials engaged in rural development planning, development practitioners and non-governmental organizations working at grassroots level, academics and researchers focusing on rural innovation, and technology innovators and entrepreneurs developing solutions for underserved communities. Registration Link: https://forms.gle/dXyeLF5PZTKQxnoq8 View the Brochure: Click here For any queries contact Dr. Venkatamallu Thadaboina, Programme Officer Learning, CIRDAPEmail: po_learning@cirdap.org, WhatsApp: +91 9866681774

Experts, List-1

Dr. Mohammad Kamruzzaman

Dr. Mohammad Kamruzzaman Job Title: Name of Organization: Email: Senior Scientific Officer Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) milonbrri@gmail.com Areas of Expertise: Climatic impact-driver indices relevant to agriculture, water resources, and ecosystems. This work includes the assessment of drought, precipitation extremes, wet and dry spells, and other hydroclimatic indicators that connect physical climate changes with sectoral impacts, vulnerability, risk, and adaptation needs. Education: PhD in Engineering (2020), CGPA (4.13/4.5), Gyeongsang National University, Republic of Korea MSc in Mechanical Engineering (2011), CGPA (3.88/4.00), Islamic University of Technology (IUT), Gazipur, Bangladesh BSc in Agricultural Engineering (1998), Second Class, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh Awards and Recognition: Best Paper Award-2019 by the Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers Best Poster Award: 1st International Conference on Agricultural Machinery and Bioresource Engineering (ICAMBE) 2025 Full funded PhD Scholarship from Gyeongsang National University, South Korea Address: Farm Machinery and Postharvest Technology Division, Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI), Gazipur-1701 Country: Bangladesh Phone: +880 177 642 2808 Full Details (CV): Click Here

Experts, List-1

Dr Syed Ahmad Hussain

Dr. Syed Ahmad Hussain Job Title: Name of Organization: Email: Principal Scientist ( Agronomy ) Retired hussainsyed786@yahoo.com Areas of Expertise: 1) Assessment, planning, scheduling and execution of tailor made Capacity building-training programmes for various categories of stake holders-Farmers, rural youth, Farm women, Field extension functionaries of both private and pubic institutions involved in Farm extesnion 2) Practical Field/crop production 3) Farm Management 4) Development of social media modules for farm extension based on clientele needs. 5) Expertise in GLOBAL FARM certifications-GLOBAL GAP, ORGANIC FARMING & NATURAL FARMING -protocols – related capacity building programmes for farmers, FPO & export houses. Education: Doctorate in Agriculture (Agronomy )  –  2009 Post Graduation in   Agriculture (Agronomy)   –  1989 Graduation in Agriculture   – 1987   Publications / Research Field Research Articles (42 No*S) in International, National Agricultural research journals Popular articles (100 No*s) in vernacular languages. Book chapters in National Curriculums of MOOCS & others Handled research projects on bio waste management/bio-Remedial measures of pollution/ new plant protection/nutritional molecules. Address: 1-1-118/4 Budvel Rajendranagr Hyderabad India 5000530 Country: India Phone: 91 9849281608 Full Details (CV): Click Here

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