Professional Summary
Dr. Eng. Elias Meskelu Degaga is a senior Ethiopian irrigation engineer and agricultural water management specialist with 19 years of experience in irrigation engineering, hydrology, watershed management, water productivity, water harvesting, drought analysis, rainfall variability, and climate-resilient agriculture.
He currently works as Researcher II at the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research, Wondo Genet Agricultural Research Center. His career combines practical field experience, agricultural research, hydrological modelling, climate impact assessment, and irrigation water management for improving agricultural productivity under water scarcity and climate variability.
His PhD research at Adama Science and Technology University focused on the Awash River Basin, one of Ethiopia’s most important agricultural and water-resource regions. His work examined rainfall variability, drought behaviour, evapotranspiration modelling, climate change impacts on irrigation water demand, and future water availability under changing climate conditions. This places him strongly among experts working on climate-resilient irrigation and agricultural water planning in Ethiopia.
His professional foundation is broad and practical. He worked in watershed design and survey, soil and water management research, water management at an agricultural enterprise, and long-term irrigation and agricultural water research under the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research. This gives him strong understanding of both community-level watershed realities and national agricultural water management needs.
His publications demonstrate consistent contribution to irrigation and climate-resilience science, including studies on climate change impacts on crop and irrigation water demand, long-term rainfall variability and drought in the Awash River Basin, water productivity improvement in irrigated agriculture, mulching and furrow irrigation for maize, moisture stress effects on wheat, crop response to fertilizer and irrigation water, and maize response under different growth-stage moisture stress.
Dr. Elias brings strong value to AquaLinked / Water for Africa Experts because his work directly addresses food security, drought resilience, irrigation efficiency, and sustainable water use in African agriculture. His profile represents a practical and research-driven expert capable of supporting irrigation planning, climate adaptation, water productivity improvement, watershed management, and agricultural water policy in water-stressed regions.
Expertise
Specialties
Projects & Contributions
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PhD Research on Climate, Drought and Irrigation Water Demand – Awash River Basin
Completed PhD research focused on rainfall variability, drought analysis, evapotranspiration modelling, climate change impacts on irrigation water demand, and water availability assessment under changing climate conditions in the Awash River Basin, Ethiopia. This work supports climate-resilient irrigation planning and water allocation in one of Ethiopia’s most important agricultural basins. -
Climate Change Impacts on Crop and Irrigation Water Demand Using CMIP6 Models
Authored peer-reviewed research assessing climate change impacts on crop water demand and irrigation water demand in the Awash River Basin using CMIP6 climate models. This contribution supports future irrigation planning, agricultural water allocation, and adaptation strategies under climate uncertainty. -
Long-Term Rainfall Trend, Variability and Drought Analysis in the Awash River Basin
Conducted and published long-term rainfall trend, variability, and drought analysis for the Awash River Basin. This work provides important evidence for drought preparedness, agricultural risk reduction, hydrological planning, and climate-resilient water management in Ethiopia. -
Irrigation Water Productivity and Water Conservation Research in Ethiopia
Developed research and review work on improving water productivity in irrigated agriculture, focusing on practical irrigation techniques and water conservation methods that help increase crop production while reducing unnecessary water use in Ethiopian agricultural systems. -
Integrated Mulching and Furrow Irrigation Methods for Maize Water Productivity
Conducted research on the integrated effect of mulching and furrow irrigation methods on maize yield and water productivity at Koka, Ethiopia. This work contributes practical knowledge for improving crop-water productivity and irrigation efficiency for farmers. -
Moisture Stress, Wheat Yield and Water Use Efficiency Research
Studied the effect of moisture stress on irrigated wheat yield and water-use efficiency at Melkassa, Ethiopia. This research supports improved irrigation scheduling and deficit-irrigation decisions for wheat production under limited water availability. -
Crop Response to Fertilizer and Irrigation Water in Major Irrigated Areas of Ethiopia
Contributed to research evaluating crop response to fertilizer and irrigation water in major irrigated areas of Ethiopia. This work connects soil fertility, irrigation water management, crop response, and agricultural productivity improvement. -
Maize Response to Moisture Stress at Different Growth Stages
Conducted research on maize response to moisture stress at different growth stages, contributing to better understanding of crop sensitivity, irrigation timing, and water-stress management for maize production. -
Hydrological Modelling for Watershed Assessment and Water Resources Planning
Applies hydrological modelling tools including SWAT and SWAT-CUP for watershed assessment, water resources planning, rainfall-runoff analysis, irrigation planning, and climate-related water availability studies. This modelling capacity strengthens evidence-based agricultural water management. -
National-Level Irrigation Scheme Performance Evaluation
Contributed to irrigation scheme performance evaluation using standard indicators in Ethiopia, supporting improved understanding of irrigation efficiency, scheme functionality, agricultural water productivity, and management gaps in irrigated agriculture. -
Researcher II – Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research, Wondo Genet Agricultural Research Center
Serves as Researcher II at the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research, Wondo Genet Agricultural Research Center, contributing to irrigation water management, hydrology, agricultural water productivity, watershed studies, climate resilience, water harvesting, and farmer-oriented water management solutions. -
Soil and Water Management Research – Jinka Agricultural Research Center
Worked as Junior Researcher in Soil and Water Management at Jinka Agricultural Research Center under the Southern Agricultural Research Institute, contributing to field research and practical soil-water management activities. -
Water Management Officer – Adama University Asella Model Agricultural Enterprise
Served as Water Management Officer, supporting agricultural water management, irrigation practice, and practical water-use activities within an agricultural enterprise setting. -
Watershed Management Design and Survey – Lanfuro Woreda Agricultural and Rural Development Bureau
Started his professional career as Watershed Management Design and Survey Expert, supporting watershed assessment, field survey, soil and water conservation planning, and rural agricultural development work. -
Future Contribution: Climate-Resilient and Water-Efficient Agriculture
Aims to contribute to climate-resilient and water-efficient agricultural systems, particularly in drought-prone regions, by advancing irrigation water management, hydrological modelling, data-driven planning, water harvesting, irrigation scheduling, water productivity improvement, and policy-relevant capacity building for sustainable water resources management and food security.