Professional Summary
Addisu Guaddie Dagnew is an Ethiopian water resources engineer, engineering hydrologist, IWRM and WASH specialist, and PhD researcher based at the University of Northern British Columbia in Canada.
He has more than 10 years of experience in water resources management, hydrological modelling, integrated watershed management, WASH, water quality monitoring, river basin planning, flood risk management, climate change impact analysis, and water allocation planning. His professional path connects academic research, government basin planning, development-sector WASH implementation, international education, and advanced data-driven water resources analysis.
His academic background is outstanding. He is currently pursuing a PhD in Natural Resources and Environmental Studies at the University of Northern British Columbia. He also holds an MSc in Environmental Science and Technology for the Environment and Territory from the University of Bologna, an Erasmus Mundus Joint MSc in Water and Coastal Management from the University of Cádiz, University of Bologna and University of Algarve, an MSc in Water Resources Engineering with specialization in Engineering Hydrology from Bahir Dar University, and a BSc in Water Resources Management from Bahir Dar University. He also completed Earth Observation and Quantification of Water Cycle Components training at the University of Twente ITC in the Netherlands.
His development-sector leadership is strong. At Millennium Water Alliance, he worked as IWRM and Environmental Sustainability Technical Advisor and as WASH and Integrated Watershed Project Manager. He supported district water allocation planning, water balance development, water quality monitoring, IWRM-WASH master planning, nature-based solutions, watershed restoration, watershed protection financing, partner capacity building, donor compliance, budgeting, scheduling, advocacy, proposal writing and project coordination.
His WASH experience with Plan International and World Vision gave him strong field-based knowledge in water supply, sanitation, hygiene, deep-well and shallow-well development, multiple-use water systems, rural pipe distribution systems, technical assessments, system rehabilitation, WASH capacity building, project reporting, and WASH system strengthening.
His basin-level experience under the Tana Beles Integrated Water Resources Development Project is one of the strongest parts of his profile. He worked on water quality monitoring, hydrologic data analysis, hydrological modelling, gauging stations, sediment data, discharge measurements, flood mapping, Hydrological Information Systems, Basin Information Systems, Nile Basin Decision Support System, integrated river basin planning, water resources assessment, simulation modelling, optimization modelling, and multi-criteria decision support for irrigation, potable water, industrial water, fisheries, hydropower and navigation.
As a lecturer at Aksum University, he contributed to the education of future water professionals by teaching surface water hydrology, groundwater hydrology, hydrometry, hydraulics, water supply and sanitation, water pollution and wastewater treatment, soil and water conservation engineering, flood and drought management, and integrated river basin management.
Addisu’s technical capacity is modern and powerful. He works with GIS, remote sensing, SWAT, HEC-HMS, HBV, RIBASIM, WEAP, MIKE Hydro, Python, R, MATLAB, Google Earth Engine, and machine learning models. His future research direction includes high-performance computing, big data analytics, artificial intelligence and machine learning for water resources management in local and transboundary river basins.
His profile brings strong value to AquaLinked / Water for Africa Experts because he represents the kind of African water expert needed for the future: academically advanced, internationally trained, field-tested, basin-oriented, climate-aware, digitally skilled, and capable of linking WASH, IWRM, hydrological modelling, water quality, flood management, and AI-supported decision-making.
Expertise
Specialties
Projects & Contributions
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PhD Research in Natural Resources and Environmental Studies – University of Northern British Columbia
Currently pursuing PhD research in Natural Resources and Environmental Studies at the University of Northern British Columbia in Canada, strengthening his contribution to climate-resilient water resources management, hydrological modelling, hydroclimatic analysis, and advanced environmental water research. -
IWRM and Environmental Sustainability Technical Advisory – Millennium Water Alliance
Served as IWRM and Environmental Sustainability Technical Advisor with Millennium Water Alliance, supporting evidence-based water allocation plans, district water balances, water quality monitoring, District IWRM-WASH master planning, nature-based solutions assessment, watershed restoration design, watershed protection financing, capacity building, work planning, budgeting, scheduling and donor-compliant implementation. -
District IWRM-WASH Master Planning
Supported development of District IWRM-WASH master planning by integrating water allocation, WASH needs, watershed management, water quality, sub-catchment planning, stakeholder capacity building and practical implementation pathways for local water security. -
Water Allocation Planning and Water Balance Development
Supported the synthesis of hydrological, environmental and water-use data to develop water balances and evidence-based water allocation plans for target districts, strengthening decision-making for drinking water, productive use and watershed protection. -
Nature-Based Solutions and Watershed Restoration Planning
Assessed potential nature-based solutions to increase water supply for drinking and productive uses, designed watershed restoration interventions, and generated potential financing options for watershed protection measures. -
WASH and Integrated Watershed Project Management – Millennium Water Alliance
Served as WASH and Integrated Watershed Project Manager, leading project planning and design, implementation planning, partner coordination, learning documentation, knowledge management, budgeting, resource management, advocacy, communications, proposal writing and technical guidance. -
Plan International WASH Engineering – Multiple Use Water Systems
Served as WASH Officer / Engineer with Plan International, contributing to project plans and designs for water supply, sanitation and hygiene interventions, hydrogeological studies for deep-well drilling, Multiple Use water systems, technical site assessments, water supply design and construction, technical quality assurance, budgeting, reporting and stakeholder capacity building. -
World Vision WASH Facilitation – Rural Water Supply Systems
Worked as WASH Facilitator with World Vision, following up shallow-well drilling, rural water supply construction, headworks, pipe distribution systems, non-functional scheme rehabilitation, WASH capacity-building training, monitoring, reporting, learning and WASH system strengthening. -
Tana Beles Integrated Water Resources Development Project
Worked as Water Engineer and Hydrologic Modeller under the Tana Beles Integrated Water Resources Development Project, Tana Sub-Basin Office, supporting water quality monitoring, hydrologic data analysis, hydrological modelling, gauging station operation, sediment data management, discharge measurement, flood mapping, cross-section and flood-line surveys. -
Hydrological Information System and Nile Basin Decision Support System
Worked on Hydrological Information Systems, Basin Information Systems and automated hydrologic and water quality database management systems using the Nile Basin Decision Support System to support integrated water resources planning in the Tana Sub-Basin and Upper Blue Nile Basin. -
Integrated River Basin Planning for Tana Sub-Basin, Upper Blue Nile Basin
Contributed to integrated river basin planning and management for the Tana Sub-Basin, including water resources assessment, simulation modelling, optimization modelling, multi-criteria modelling and decision support for irrigation, potable water supply, industrial water supply, fisheries, hydropower and navigation. -
Aksum University Lecturer – Water Resources and WASH Education
Served as Lecturer at Aksum University, teaching surface water hydrology, groundwater hydrology, hydrometry, hydraulics, water supply and sanitation, water pollution and wastewater treatment, soil and water conservation engineering, flood and drought management, and integrated river basin management. -
Upper Blue Nile Basin Sediment and Soil-Water Conservation Research
Conducted MSc research on sediment budget at plot and watershed scale in Akusty and Kasry watersheds of the Upper Blue Nile Basin, contributing to soil and water conservation knowledge in humid Ethiopian highlands. -
Land Use Change and Water Budget Research – Emilia-Romagna Watersheds
Completed European MSc thesis research on comparative analysis between land-use change and water budget in watersheds of Emilia-Romagna, linking environmental analysis, land-use dynamics, and water resources assessment. -
Erasmus Mundus Water and Coastal Management Scholarship
Received the Erasmus Mundus Scholarship for the joint MSc in Water and Coastal Management at the University of Bologna, University of Cádiz and University of Algarve, strengthening his international water and coastal management expertise. -
University of Twente Earth Observation and Water Cycle Training
Received Netherlands Fellowship Programme support for a master’s course certificate in Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation, focusing on Earth Observation and Quantification of Water Cycle Components at University of Twente ITC in the Netherlands. -
Scientific Publications on Hydrology, Soil-Water Conservation and Coastal Aquifers
Published and contributed to scientific work on soil and water conservation impacts on hydrology and soil loss in the humid Ethiopian highlands of the Upper Blue Nile Basin, and on salinity and water table evolution in the phreatic coastal aquifer of Emilia-Romagna, Italy. -
Conference Contributions on Nile Basin Water Resources and Sediment Yield
Presented research on soil and water conservation, watershed sediment yield, Nile water resources, and multipurpose water resource planning using Nile Basin DSS at national and international conferences and seminars. -
Advanced Technical Modelling and Data Analytics Capacity
Applies ArcGIS, QGIS, ILWIS, Google Earth Engine, SWAT, HEC-HMS, HBV, RIBASIM, WEAP, MIKE Hydro, Python, R, MATLAB and machine learning models to support hydrological modelling, water quality analysis, watershed management and climate-resilient decision support. -
Future Contribution: AI-Supported Water Resources Management for Local and Transboundary Basins
Aims to advance water resources management through high-performance computing, big data analytics, machine learning, artificial intelligence, climate-resilient hydrology, watershed modelling, flood and drought risk assessment, water quality monitoring, IWRM, WASH systems strengthening and transboundary river basin planning in Africa and beyond.