Dr. Eng. Edmealem Temesgen Ebstu

Professional Summary

Dr. Eng. Edmealem Temesgen Ebstu is a researcher and Senior Lecturer in Water Resources and Irrigation Engineering at Arba Minch University Water Technology Institute, Ethiopia. His work focuses on AI-enabled water management, precision irrigation, climate-resilient agriculture, crop-water modelling, and sustainable water-food systems. He integrates artificial intelligence and machine learning, IoT-based soil-moisture sensing, AquaCrop and APEX modelling, remote sensing, GIS, and field experimentation to improve irrigation efficiency, agricultural productivity, water-use efficiency, and resilience to climate variability. His doctoral research, completed in 2026, investigated integrated modelling and experimental evaluation of lowland wheat production under precision irrigation and rainfed conditions using climate-smart, machine-learning, and data-driven approaches. His broader research includes crop coefficient and yield prediction, low-cost soil-moisture sensing, groundwater potential assessment, irrigation water-quality evaluation, drainage-water reuse, and climate-change impact assessment. He combines academic research with practical field and community engagement and is open to collaborative research, innovation, and capacity-building at the intersection of water, agriculture, climate change, and artificial intelligence.

Key Expertise

Major Projects and Contributions

• Researcher and Senior Lecturer - Arba Minch University
  Since 2018, conducts interdisciplinary research and university teaching in irrigation engineering, climate resilience, sustainable agriculture, water security, agricultural water management, and community livelihoods. Mentors students and young researchers, develops scientific publications and policy-relevant outputs, and translates research findings into practical recommendations for communities and decision-makers.
• AI-Enabled Precision Irrigation and Lowland Wheat Research
  Doctoral research completed in 2026 on integrated modelling and experimental evaluation of lowland wheat production under precision irrigation and rainfed conditions. The work combines climate-smart agriculture, artificial intelligence, machine learning, data-driven methods, field experimentation, and irrigation modelling to improve water productivity and crop performance.
• Low-Cost IoT Soil-Moisture Sensor for Irrigation Scheduling
  Developed and tested a low-cost soil-moisture sensing approach for real-time irrigation scheduling, integrating field observations, digital sensing, and irrigation decision-making. This work was published in Irrigation and Drainage in 2026.
• AquaCrop and Machine-Learning Modelling of Wheat Yield and Water Productivity
  Applied AquaCrop and machine-learning methods together with IoT-based precision irrigation data to model lowland wheat yield and water productivity in Southern Ethiopia. Related research also modelled crop coefficient and yield response using machine learning and field experiments.
• APEX Modelling of Irrigated and Rainfed Wheat Production
  Applied the APEX model to evaluate wheat production under irrigated and rainfed conditions in Arba Minch, Southern Ethiopia, supporting assessment of crop production, irrigation strategies, and resource-use efficiency.
• Groundwater Potential Assessment in the Kulfo-Hare Watershed
  Assessed groundwater potential distribution in the Kulfo-Hare watershed through integration of GIS, remote sensing, and the Analytic Hierarchy Process, contributing to evidence-based groundwater planning and sustainable water-resource management in Southern Ethiopia.
• Drainage Water Quality and Irrigation Reuse in Kulfo and Hare Command Areas
  Evaluated drainage-water quality and its potential for irrigation reuse in the Kulfo and Hare irrigation command areas of Southern Ethiopia, supporting practical approaches to water reuse, irrigation management, and water-quality assessment.
• Climate-Change Impact Assessment for Agricultural Water and Crop Production
  Conducted and contributed to research on climate-change impacts on crop production and irrigation-water availability, including maize production in the Woybo catchment and irrigation-water availability in the Rift Valley Lakes Basin, with emphasis on climate resilience and sustainable agricultural water management.