1. CURRICULA VITAE
Madhab B Mathema
Name: Madhab Bhakta Mathema (February 1945); citizen of Nepal
Education: Master of City Planning (Ohio State University, 1971), Bachelor of Civil
Engineering (Jadavpur University, Calcutta, 1964)
Awards: American Institute of Planners Student Award, 1971; Mahendra Vidhya
Bhusan (twice): on account of outstanding academic achievements;
Gorkha Daksin Bhau – IV: meritorious government service-related award;
Meritorious Service Award, Govt of Nepal: long government service
Experience: About 48 years of professional experience in wide-ranging aspects of
human settlements: 28 years with the Government of Nepal, and about 15
years with a United Nations Agency (UN-HABITAT) as an international
expert-staff.
Of the total experience about 15 years were in the field (Nepal) in
successively responsible positions in projects and programs that included
building design/construction, disaster-related reconstruction, rural
resettlements, housing research that ultimately persuaded Government to
include Housing in its strategic programs, urban planning (policy and
physical planning) and management, drafting of Town Implementation
Act (1973).
Another 13 years in sector program development & management, policy
analysis, foreign aid coordination (sector) and strategic support to
government (ministry as well as intra-governmental panels). Played an
instrumental role in establishing the first Ministry of Physical Planning
and Housing in Nepal; co-authored a notable report on the impact of
urbanization on environment (funded by UNDP/Nepal) that reportedly
prompted the Government to enact Nepal’s first environmental law
(1997); fulfilled two-year term as a member of the Birendranagar Town
Council; developed Guided Land Development (GLD) approach based on
informal land development process championed by self-trained land
brokers; researched land development process in vogue in Kathmandu
giving credence to the universality of GLD; established, programmed and
managed the 1988-earthquake reconstruction project that won the 1991
HABITAT Scroll of Honour Award; independently designed two Nepal-
specific projects for the World Bank and their approval (US$ 65 million),
and served the first Landless Commission (1990) as its only member from
the Civil Service cadre; managed the drafting of Building Code in Nepal.
Additional 15 years with UN-HABITAT, first as a Senior Adviser to the
Asia & the Pacific Unit and later, as Director (Ag.) of UN-HABITAT
Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (based in Japan). Guided Agency-
specific program development and management in Iran (earthquake),

2. Afghanistan (community based reconstruction), Pakistan (flood disaster,
urban governance), Sri Lanka (landslide hazard), Mongolia (earthquake
zonation), China (waste management), Vietnam (urban economics),
Myanmar (community-based development), Indonesia (Tsunami 2004
reconstruction), and Nepal, and led the UN-HABITAT 2004-Tsunami
response team in the region; retired from the UN service as UN-
HABITAT Director (Ag.) of Human Settlements Financing Division,
Nairobi in early 2007.
Successfully designed several projects for international funding mainly in
conflict and post-conflict situations, urban policy, and disaster
management
Professional Interest: Study of dynamics of urban institutions, informal urban land development,
community empowerment and urban environment.
Principal Expertise: Sector coordination, institutional analysis, policy analysis, reconstruction
programming (both manmade and natural) and strategic planning
Contact: m_mathema@mac.com