The title of his PhD dissertation is evaluating the Hydrological Dynamics under Land Use/Cover, Topography and Climate Change in the Baro River Basin, Ethiopia.

Dr Shimelash’s Dissertation stated Hydrological dynamics in the Baro River Basin are profoundly influenced by land use/cover changes and climate variability. The study examined the complex interactions between lands use/cover, topography, and climate change on hydrological dynamics in the basin. The sensitivity of meteorological dynamics to catchment characteristics is assessed, and the integrated impact of land use and topography on hydrological extremes is evaluated. In addition Climate change impacts on hydrological extremes are quantified, and the relative and combined impact of climate and land use/cover change on streamflow variability is examined.

The study finds that precipitation dynamics are more sensitive to land use/cover change, while temperature dynamics are more sensitive to elevation difference. Climate change simulations reveal significant shifts in projected annual maximum and minimum flows, with earlier occurrences under SSP2-4.5 and later occurrences under SSP5-8.5. The study concludes that climate change outweighs the land use/cover impact in the Basin, emphasizing the importance of location-specific assessments.

Prof. Feleke Zewge was the chairperson of the defense session of this dissertation. The dissertation was mainly supervised by Prof. Tsegaye Tadesse from University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Nebraska, USA whereas Dr. Getachew Tegegne from Addis Ababa Science and Technology University was Co-supervisor. Dr. Dessie Nedaw from Addis Ababa University and Prof. Seifu Admassu from Bahir Dar University, were internal and external examiners respectively.