Eng. Assefa Lamesa Idia

Professional Summary

Assefa Lamesa Idia is an Ethiopian Civil Engineer specializing in Hydraulic Engineering, Dam Engineering, Irrigation Development, and construction supervision, with more than 10 years of professional experience in water-resources and infrastructure projects. He holds an MSc in Civil Engineering (Hydraulic Engineering) from Addis Ababa Science and Technology University and a BSc in Water Resource and Irrigation Engineering from Hawassa University. He currently serves as Resident Engineer with the Engineering Corporation of Oromia, supervising the Finna Tibe Hara Dam and Appurtenant Structures Project. His career includes service as Senior Hydraulic Engineer, Senior Dam Design Engineer, Dam Design Engineer, Site Engineer, Irrigation Engineer, and Junior Irrigation Engineer. His technical experience covers dam and spillway design, hydraulic calculations, irrigation canals and diversion structures, reservoir and flood routing, seepage and erosion control, river training, flood protection, construction supervision, quality assurance, contract administration, payment certification, variation and claim review, multidisciplinary coordination, GIS and remote sensing, and engineering software applications. He has contributed to major irrigation, dam, river-training, flood-control, and irrigation-potential assessment projects in Ethiopia, working closely with clients, consultants, contractors, survey teams, laboratories, geotechnical specialists, and structural engineers to deliver safe and technically sound water infrastructure.

Key Expertise

Major Projects and Contributions

• Finna Tibe Hara Dam and Appurtenant Structures Project – 900 ha, East Wellega
  Current assignment as Resident Engineer from June 2025. Responsible for construction supervision, coordination among Client, Contractor and Consultant, quality control, technical review, survey and measurement verification, progress monitoring, payment certification, variation-order and claim review, site meetings, project documentation, safety and environmental compliance, defect correction, as-built drawing review, commissioning and final handover.
• Welenchiti Bofa Extension Irrigation Project – 4,500 ha, East Shoa
  Served as Senior Hydraulic Engineer from October 2022 to June 2025. Undertook hydraulic design, analysis and technical review for irrigation systems, pipe and canal systems, river-diversion structures, cross regulators, drainage and related water-control infrastructure. Work included discharge analysis, flow velocity, canal sizing, flood routing, sediment control, water-surface profiling, construction supervision and multidisciplinary coordination.
• Finna Irrigation Project – Dam and Appurtenant Structures
  Served as Senior Dam Design Engineer. Led and reviewed dam planning and detailed design, including embankment geometry and zoning, crest level, slopes, seepage-control systems, foundation treatment, spillways, energy dissipation, intake and outlet works, diversion structures and cross-drainage works. Reviewed hydrology, catchment analysis, flood estimation, reservoir routing and spillway capacity, and coordinated geotechnical and structural inputs.
• Lower Ganale Dawa Lot One Large-Scale Irrigation Project – Dam and Appurtenant Structures
  Served as Dam Design Engineer. Performed design review, hydraulic and structural analysis, and construction-supervision support for the dam body, spillway, intake and outlet works, diversion systems and energy-dissipation structures. Work also covered seepage control, foundation investigation, grouting, drainage, slope-stability coordination and quality-control procedures.
• Seven Large and Medium Irrigation Projects – Dam and Appurtenant Structures
  Served as Dam Design Engineer on a portfolio of seven large and medium irrigation projects. Conducted dam and appurtenant-structure design review, hydraulic analysis, structural evaluation and construction supervision, including spillways, intakes, outlets, diversion arrangements, energy dissipation, seepage control, foundation treatment, drainage and slope-stability coordination.
• Upper Awash River Training and Flood Control Protection Project – Taji
  Served as Site Engineer. Supervised and coordinated river-training and flood-protection works including riverbank stabilization, gabion retaining structures, embankments, revetments, drainage structures, scour protection and channel improvement. Responsibilities included site inspection, quantity verification, survey setting-out checks, quality control, laboratory testing and coordination with contractors, consultants and client teams.
• 28 Micro Dam Irrigation Projects
  Served as Dam Design Engineer for 28 micro-dam irrigation projects. Contributed to dam and appurtenant-structure design review, hydraulic analysis, structural evaluation, seepage control, foundation investigation, slope-stability and drainage assessment, and construction-supervision support for spillways, intakes, outlets, diversion structures and related irrigation infrastructure.
• Laga Gimbi and Alaltu Weir Small-Scale Irrigation Project
  Served as Irrigation Engineer. Supervised and technically monitored weirs, intake structures, canal excavation and lining, division structures, culverts, drops, drainage systems and erosion-protection works. Performed hydraulic and structural review, survey and level verification, earthwork and concrete supervision, material inspection, compaction and concrete testing, and water-diversion and flow-regulation monitoring.
• Oromia Irrigation Potential Assessment Project
  Served as Junior Irrigation Engineer. Participated in irrigation-potential studies, reconnaissance and field investigations, topographic surveys, surface-water and groundwater assessment, and collection of hydrological, meteorological, geological, soil and land-use data. Supported irrigation layouts, canal alignments, command-area mapping, water-requirement analysis, preliminary design and hydraulic calculations for irrigation and drainage structures.