Eng. Zemedkun Tegegne Meshesha (PhD Candidate)

Professional Summary

Eng. Zemedkun Tegegne Meshesha is an Ethiopian WASH and Environmental Management Expert, Hydraulic Engineer, Water Resources Researcher, and PhD Candidate whose career brings together engineering practice, university education, scientific research, environmental governance, and community development. With more than thirteen years of combined experience, he has developed a professional profile that spans rural water supply and sanitation infrastructure, hydraulic analysis, hydrology, integrated water resources management, watershed governance, climate resilience, ecosystem-based adaptation, soil and water conservation, GIS, and advanced hydrological modelling. In his current role with the Ethiopian Catholic Church Social & Development Coordination Office, he leads and supports WASH planning, community mobilization, needs assessment, infrastructure design and supervision, stakeholder coordination, monitoring and evaluation, environmental sustainability, and capacity building for community WASH institutions. Earlier, as a Lecturer in Hydraulic and Water Resource Engineering at Ambo University, he taught Hydraulics, Hydrology, and Water Resources Management, supervised undergraduate research, delivered technical seminars, and contributed to research on sustainable water resources management in the Upper Blue Nile Basin. His research interests connect catchment behaviour, hydrological modelling, basin classification, climate adaptation, water security, and data-driven decision-making. His professional strength lies in connecting science with people: combining engineering analysis and modelling with participatory planning, institutional coordination, local capacity development, and sustainable management of water and environmental systems. He is committed to advancing climate-resilient WASH services, water security, integrated water resources management, and evidence-based development across Ethiopia and Africa.

Key Expertise

Major Projects and Contributions

• WASH and Environmental Management Leadership
  Serves as a WASH and Environmental Management Expert with the Ethiopian Catholic Church Social & Development Coordination Office. Leads and supports technical assessment, community engagement, participatory planning, design review, construction supervision, monitoring, environmental sustainability, and institutional capacity development for water supply, sanitation, and hygiene programmes.
• Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Infrastructure Development
  Leads and supports the planning, needs assessment, engineering design review, implementation, and supervision of rural water supply and sanitation infrastructure. His work combines hydraulic engineering, technical quality control, environmental sustainability, community participation, and long-term service-management considerations.
• Climate-Resilient WASH and Ecosystem-Based Adaptation
  Integrates WASH programming with ecosystem-based adaptation, watershed governance, environmental sustainability, and climate resilience. Supports approaches that connect water-service development with source protection, watershed health, soil and water conservation, and sustainable natural-resource management.
• Community Mobilization and WASH Institutional Capacity Building
  Works with communities, local leaders, government institutions, and development stakeholders to identify priority needs, strengthen inclusive participation, improve WASH service sustainability, and build the technical and organizational capacity of community WASH committees through training, mentoring, monitoring, and practical management support.
• Lecturer and Researcher – Ambo University
  Served in the Department of Hydraulic and Water Resource Engineering at Ambo University from 2012 to 2019. Taught undergraduate courses in Hydraulics, Hydrology, and Water Resources Management; supervised student research on watershed and water systems; delivered technical seminars and workshops; and contributed to academic research and publication activities.
• Sustainable Water Resources Research in the Upper Blue Nile Basin
  Participated in research on sustainable water resources management in the Upper Blue Nile Basin, with attention to watershed processes, catchment behaviour, hydrological response, water security, climate resilience, and improved scientific understanding for basin-scale water management.
• Hydrological Modelling and Catchment Classification Research
  Conducted research on hydrological response similarity and catchment classification in the Upper Blue Nile Basin. His research applies hydrological analysis to understanding basin behaviour and strengthening prediction and decision-making in data-scarce and ungauged catchments.
• Peer-Reviewed Research on Upper Blue Nile Catchment Hydrology
  Co-authored peer-reviewed research on understanding catchment hydrologic response similarity in the Upper Blue Nile (Abay) Basin through catchment classification, contributing scientific knowledge relevant to hydrological regionalization, basin comparison, and prediction in ungauged watersheds.
• Hydrological Modelling, GIS and Data-Driven Water Engineering
  Applies and advances the use of ArcSWAT, SWAT-CUP, SWAT-MODFLOW, MODFLOW, GIS, QGIS, Arc-Hydro, HEC-HMS, WaterGEMS, and EPANET for hydrological analysis, groundwater and surface-water assessment, hydraulic-system analysis, catchment modelling, and evidence-based water resources decision-making.
• Multi-Sector Water, Agriculture and Environmental Coordination
  Supports institutional coordination across water, agriculture, and environmental sectors and contributes to aligning WASH programmes with water, climate, and environmental priorities. His work reflects a systems approach that connects infrastructure, communities, ecosystems, policy, and long-term water security.