Eng. Abebaw Getachew Gussesse

Professional Summary

Eng. Abebaw Getachew Gussesse is a senior Ethiopian Water Resources and Environmental Engineer with more than 17 years of professional experience in urban WASH, hydrology, hydraulic modelling, stormwater drainage, flood risk reduction, wastewater management, sewerage systems, fecal sludge treatment, water supply engineering, river basin studies, irrigation and climate-resilient infrastructure. He holds an MSc in Water Resource Engineering, an MSc in Construction Technology and Management, and a BSc in Soil and Water Engineering and Management from Hawassa University. He is also a Licensed Practicing Water Resource Engineer in Ethiopia, reflecting recognized professional competence in water resources engineering practice. His current role as Second Urban WASH Project Coordinator at Adama Town Water Supply and Sewerage Service Enterprise places him at the center of one of Ethiopia’s important urban sanitation and flood-resilience efforts. He coordinates wastewater, sewerage and stormwater infrastructure projects serving approximately 960,000 residents, while managing technical design, feasibility studies, construction supervision, BOQs, contract documents, EIA/ESIA reports and consultant coordination. One of his major contributions is urban flood modelling and stormwater drainage improvement in Adama. He delivered 1D/2D hydraulic modelling for stormwater networks and optimized drainage layouts, contributing to an estimated 35% reduction in annual urban flooding. This work directly supports safer streets, better sanitation, stronger urban resilience and climate adaptation. He also led the feasibility, technical design and construction supervision of a 240 m³/day fecal sludge treatment facility using nature-based treatment systems. This project strengthens public health, environmental protection and sustainable urban sanitation by improving fecal sludge management in a growing city. His previous work at the SNNPR Water and Energy Development Bureau gave him strong regional water supply and basin-planning experience. He designed and reviewed water supply systems for towns including Dilla, Sawula, Chencha and Bulki, improving water access for populations exceeding 650,000. He also supported Bilate Basin water resource analysis, water balance and allocation modelling, catchment hydrology, sediment analysis and river hydraulics. Earlier, he worked as Water Engineer at SNNPR Water Resource Bureau, designing and supervising irrigation schemes, rural water supply systems, small-town distribution networks, hydrological assessments, topographic surveys, environmental screening and community hydraulic structures. His academic experience as Lecturer at Hawassa Polytechnic College adds another important dimension to his profile. He taught hydraulics, watershed management and environmental engineering, supervised more than 40 applied research projects and trained local water and construction technicians. Eng. Abebaw brings strong value to AquaLinked / Water for Africa Experts because he combines practical engineering leadership, hydrological and hydraulic modelling, WASH project coordination, wastewater and stormwater expertise, environmental compliance, construction supervision and mentoring. His work directly supports water access, sanitation improvement, flood resilience and climate-resilient urban infrastructure in Ethiopia and Africa.

Key Expertise

Major Projects and Contributions

• Second Urban WASH Project – Adama Town
  Coordinates the Second Urban WASH Project at Adama Town Water Supply and Sewerage Service Enterprise, leading design and supervision of wastewater, sewerage and stormwater infrastructure serving approximately 960,000 residents.
• Adama Wastewater, Stormwater and Sewerage Infrastructure Design
  Directed design of Adama wastewater, stormwater and sewerage projects, expanding resilient urban sanitation coverage and supporting improved environmental and public-health outcomes for a rapidly growing city.
• 1D/2D Urban Flood Modelling and Stormwater Drainage Optimization
  Delivered 1D/2D hydraulic modelling for stormwater networks and optimized drainage layouts, contributing to an estimated 35% reduction in annual urban flooding in Adama.
• Fecal Sludge Treatment Facility – 240 m³/day
  Led feasibility, technical design and construction supervision of a new fecal sludge treatment facility with a treatment capacity of 240 m³/day using nature-based solutions, strengthening sustainable septage management and urban sanitation.
• EIA/ESIA and Environmental Compliance for Urban WASH Infrastructure
  Prepared EIA and ESIA reports for wastewater, stormwater, sewerage and sanitation projects, ensuring compliance with national environmental standards and supporting responsible infrastructure development.
• BOQ, Contract Documents and Progress Reporting for USD 12M+ Projects
  Prepared bills of quantities, contract documents and progress reports for urban WASH and water infrastructure projects valued over USD 12 million, supporting transparent procurement, construction management and technical accountability.
• Multidisciplinary Engineering Team and Consultant Coordination
  Coordinated multidisciplinary engineering teams and external consultants, improving design quality, delivery timelines, technical review processes and project implementation performance.
• Regional Water Supply System Design – Dilla, Sawula, Chencha and Bulki
  Designed and reviewed water supply systems for towns including Dilla, Sawula, Chencha and Bulki, contributing to improved water access for combined populations exceeding 650,000.
• Bilate Basin Water Resource Analysis and Climate Adaptation Planning
  Supported Bilate Basin water resource analysis, including water balance and allocation modelling, sediment analysis and river hydraulics, informing regional water planning and climate adaptation measures.
• Catchment Hydrology, Sediment Analysis and River Hydraulics
  Conducted catchment hydrology, sediment analysis and river hydraulics using hydrological, hydraulic and GIS tools to support regional water programs and evidence-based water resources planning.
• Donor-Supported Regional Water Programs
  Led and supported technical components of donor-supported water programs in collaboration with NGOs and regional sector offices, strengthening institutional coordination and water infrastructure delivery.
• Irrigation, Rural Water Supply and Small-Town Distribution Systems
  Designed and supervised irrigation systems, rural water supply schemes and small-town distribution systems supporting agricultural and domestic water needs in project areas.
• Hydrological Assessments, Topographic Surveys and Environmental Screening
  Conducted hydrological assessments, topographic surveys and environmental screening as part of feasibility studies for irrigation, rural water supply and community hydraulic infrastructure projects.
• Community-Level Hydraulic Structures and Construction Supervision
  Managed construction supervision for multiple community-level hydraulic structures and distribution systems, supporting practical water access and local infrastructure development.
• Lecturer in Water Technology – Hawassa Polytechnic College
  Served as Lecturer in the Water Technology Department at Hawassa Polytechnic College, delivering modules in hydraulics, watershed management and environmental engineering.
• Applied Research Supervision and Technician Capacity Building
  Supervised more than 40 applied research projects in water technology fields and provided technical capacity building for local water and construction technicians.
• Hydrological Modelling for CRIDA Using SWAT+
  Completed hydrological modelling training for climate risk-informed decision analysis using SWAT+ through Vrije Universiteit Brussel and UNESCO, strengthening climate-adaptive hydrological modelling capacity.
• HEC-RAS Hydraulic Modelling Training – UNESCO and USACE
  Completed hydraulic modelling training using HEC-RAS through UNESCO and USACE, strengthening 1D/2D riverine and flood modelling capacity.
• HEC-HMS Hydrologic Modelling Training – UNESCO and USACE
  Completed hydrologic modelling training using HEC-HMS through UNESCO and USACE, strengthening rainfall-runoff modelling and watershed hydrology capacity.
• Flood Hazard and Climate Data Analysis Training
  Completed flood hazard and climate data analysis training through UNESCO and ICTP, strengthening his ability to analyse climate data, flood hazards and hydrological risk.
• Integrated Wastewater and Septage Management Training
  Completed integrated wastewater and septage management training, supporting practical knowledge in fecal sludge treatment, urban sanitation and wastewater service improvement.
• Water Diplomacy and Transboundary Aquifers Training
  Completed Water Diplomacy and Transboundary Aquifers training through UNESCO-IHE, strengthening understanding of shared groundwater systems, water diplomacy and cooperative water management.
• Python for Data Science and Hydrological Automation
  Completed Python for Data Science training through IBM and Google and applies Python for data analysis and hydrological automation in water resources work.
• Licensed Practicing Water Resource Engineer – Ethiopia
  Holds Licensed Practicing Water Resource Engineer federal certification in Ethiopia, reflecting professional recognition and technical competence in water resources engineering practice.
• Future Contribution: Climate-Resilient Urban WASH, Flood Management and Wastewater Infrastructure
  Aims to contribute to integrated water resources management, climate-resilient urban drainage, flood risk management, wastewater and fecal sludge treatment, hydrological and hydraulic modelling, GIS-based planning, mentoring, and sustainable water infrastructure development across Ethiopia and Africa.