Nanma Gireesh

Er. Nanma Gireesh is a Translational-Civil engineer, PhD researcher and co-founder of NestAbide based in India. NestAbide is an interdisciplinary firm focusing on flood-resilient and flood-resistant eco-technologies and nature-based solutions like Amphibious & floating buildings, Floating Wetlands Treatment systems and Flood Modelling & Simulation of Rivers. Nanma work as a PhD researcher on 'Delta Urbanism and Amphibious Buildings' under the supervision of Dr. Chris Zevenbergen, Dr. Fransje Hooimeijer and Dr. Koen Olthuis at Delft University of Technology (TU Delft), the Netherlands. She is simultaneously managing NestAbide's projects in India. Recently, both NestAbide founders, Nanma and Ben, are recognised in Forbes' 30 under 30 Asia list of 2022 in the category ‘Industry, Manufacturing and Energy.'

Nanma and Ben funded, built and launched India's first Amphibious Pavilion prototype called 'Amphi Nest' in Kerala. It was inaugurated and dedicated to the society by a Minister of Government of Kerala, along with other delegates, following which several state-national and international channels featured their work. The prototype 'Amphi Nest' was also featured during her interview on BBC World Podcast (UK), 'The Climate Question'. Meanwhile, NestAbide received support from the Government of Kerala through the Kerala Development Innovation and Strategic Council (KDISC) for the development of amphibious homes for selected beneficiaries from Low-Income groups living in flood-prone sensitive areas in Kerala like Kuttanadu and Munroe Islands. In 2020, she led her NestAbide team for a research project funded by the Government of Canada through NRC (National Research Council, Canada) in association with the University of Waterloo, under the mentorship of Dr Elizabeth C. English, Professor and Head of Buoyant Foundation Project.

She has also worked on nature-based solutions/ eco-technologies like Floating Wetlands Treatment System and flood modelling projects with Geographic Information System (GIS) and Flood Modelling Software. Under her leadership, NestAbide rejuvenated different wetlands over the past three years with the recent and ideal project 'Madathil Pond Restoration and Rejuvenation.' The wetland is a freshwater pond of about 90 square meters area, restored by zonal modelling techniques including coir-geotextile bank stabilisation and rejuvenation using floating wetlands treatment system with plants and aeration system. She has also worked as an engineer and consultant for GeoVin Solutions and Kerala Water Authority (Government organisation) for flood modelling and emergency response system for rivers in Kerala.

She is a rank holder of Master of Technology in Translational Engineering, an interdisciplinary programme to convert research into practice, after graduation in Civil Engineering. She was a speaker at TEDx Thiruvananthapuram and an invited speaker at Kerala’s first Professional Students’ Summit hosted by the Government of Kerala. She has addressed more than 4000 students and professionals all over India about flood resilience and amphibious buildings. She had the opportunity to represent India at the International Conference on Amphibious Architecture, Design and Engineering (ICAADE) and the Global Amphibious Policy Symposium (GAPS), held at Warsaw University of Technology, Poland. Nanma pursued an Entrepreneurship Development Programme from the National Institute of Technology (NIT), Calicut, Kerala and also, did her internship at Delft Centre for Entrepreneurship, Delft University of Technology, Netherlands, in 2018; after which she founded NestAbide in the same year. Nanma was an integral part of several lake and stream rejuvenation projects worth multi-million euros with her alma mater GEC Barton Hill, Trivandrum, in connection with the Government of Kerala.

Nanma is an avid painter focusing on traditional Mural Painting of Kerala as well as abstract paintings, most of her artworks are commissioned. She is also a trained Indian Classical - Bharathanatyam dancer, her recent project called 'Abhinjaanam' is a set of 6 semi-classical dances choreographed and danced by herself to convey the message of nature, resilience and adaptation. Her interests focus on interdisciplinary research and practice to bridge the gap between society and technology. She believes in resilience, adaptation and sustainability.

Joined 2021

Organisation

NestAbide

TU Delft