Dr. Sherub Phuntsho

Dr. Sherub Phuntsho is an Associate Professor at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), Australia, within the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology. His expertise lies in membrane technologies, water and wastewater treatment, desalination, nutrient circular economy, onsite sanitation, and humanitarian engineering.

Dr. Phuntsho earned his PhD in Environmental Engineering and a Master of Engineering from UTS, and holds a Bachelor of Civil Engineering from SVNIT, India. Before academia, he worked in the Royal Government of Bhutan (2001–2008), leading initiatives in urban waste management and infrastructure development under a DANIDA-funded program.

He has secured over AUD 10 million in research funding and published approximately 190 peer-reviewed articles as of July 2025. His notable projects include solar-powered capacitive deionisation desalination in Tuvalu (funded by UNDP), onsite sanitation solutions using waste plastic bottles, urine-to-liquid fertiliser membrane processes (funded by the Australian Research Council), and sustainable fertigation techniques. He conducts his research at the Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater (CTWW), which is highly ranked globally for water resources and SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation). His research interests include green hydrogen, low-cost desalination, brine mining, resource recovery, circular economy, and climate change adaptation. Dr. Phuntsho also serves on editorial boards for leading journals such as Process Safety and Environmental Protection, Desalination, and Membranes. He is also a frequent keynote and guest speaker at international conferences and has contributed as a co-chair and organising member for major global summits.

Beyond his academic pursuits, he is active in community service, serving as President of the Sydney Bhutanese Community Association and Vice President of Kharchu Centre Australia (2017–2024) working to promote cross-cultural engagement and community development.