Prof. Dr. Tej Bahadur Singh Mahat

Forestry Scientist | First Professor of Forestry in Nepal

From : Gijyan, Ward No. 6, Modi Rural Municipality, Parbat, Nepal

Prof. Dr. Tej Bahadur Singh Mahat, born in Gijyan of Modi Rural Municipality–6, Parbat, is one of Nepal’s most respected forestry scientists, educators, and pioneers of community forestry. As Nepal’s first appointed Professor of Forestry, his contributions to forestry education, policy formulation, and participatory forest management are unparalleled.

After completing his early education in his home village, Dr. Mahat pursued secondary and higher education in India. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Biology (B.Sc.) from Agra University and a Master’s degree in Chemistry (M.Sc.) from Pune University. He later obtained a Post-Graduate Diploma in Forestry (AIFC) from the Forest Research Institute (FRI), Dehradun, and completed his Ph.D. from the Australian National University (ANU), Canberra. He also undertook specialized studies in forest soil science at Sopron University, Hungary, and development planning at Tribhuvan University/CEDA.

Dr. Mahat served in the Government of Nepal’s Forest Service from 1965 to 1985. His tenure as Divisional Forest Officer of the Chautara Forest Division (Sindhupalchok and Kavrepalanchok) from 1973 to 1979 marked a historic phase in the development of community forestry in Nepal. The concepts and practices he developed during this period later shaped Nepal’s national community forestry framework.

From 1985 to 1998, he worked with several international organizations including ICIMOD, UNDP/FAO, ITTO, Winrock International, and ADB/FORTECH. Through these roles, he contributed to forestry, agroforestry, rural energy, and institutional capacity development programs in Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and Italy.

Between 1997 and 2003, Dr. Mahat served as Dean of the Institute of Forestry (IOF), Tribhuvan University, and as a member of the university senate. During his leadership, he initiated nine postgraduate programs (M.Sc. and Ph.D.), created seven new faculty positions, and significantly strengthened research and academic specialization in forestry and allied disciplines.

For more than four decades, Prof. Dr. Mahat has contributed through research, publications, books, and policy engagement in forestry, community forestry, agroforestry, participatory development, human–forest relationships, and rural energy. His scholarly works have been published in nationally and internationally reputed journals.

His life and work represent a lasting legacy in Nepal’s forestry history. His commitment to community participation, forestry education, and public service continues to inspire generations, especially the people of Parbat.