Staff Members CV

The Center has more than 45 senior-level faculty from national, regional, and international institutions. ACEWM affiliated 38 faculty who are engaged in teaching, research, joint supervision of students, and offering short courses.

Kinfe Kassa

Water Science & Technology

Position Title: ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER

Name of Expert: Dr.-Ing. Kinfe Kassa

Country of Citizenship/ Residence Ethiopia

Education

Technical University of Berlin: Dec 2013

PhD degree (2010-2013)- Environmental Engineering Thesis: Effect of depth and plants on pollutant removal in Horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetlands

University of Gent, Belgium: Sept 2005

MSc. Environmental sanitation (with great distinction) (2004-2005) Thesis: water purification using Maeura sub-cordata

University of Gent, Belgium: July 2004

Graduate complementary studies in environmental sanitation (with distinction) (2003-2004)

Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia: August 1993

MSc. Chemistry (1990-1992)

Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia: July 1988

BSc. Chemistry (1984-1988)

Administrative experiences

2018- to date: Editor in chief of Ethiopia Jornal of water Science and Technology (EJWST)
March 2018 -2020: Arba Minch Water Technology Institute -Postgraduate programmer Dean
April 2009 - March 2010: Research staff as of October 2006 and coordinator ROSA-AMU and overall package leader as of April 2009 for ROSA-Arba Minch, Ethiopia Resource-Oriented Sanitation concepts for peri-urban areas in Africa (ROSA) project; Contract No. 037025-GOCE; duration: 1.10.2006 – 30.3.2010), a Specific Target REsearch Project (STREP) funded within the EU 6th Framework Programme, Subpriority "Global Change and Ecosystems".
March 2008-Sept 2009: Member of the design team of the business reengineering process for Arba Minch University system change –for research and community process core processes
2008-2010: Head, of water quality Laboratory The laboratory conducts wastewater, water and solid waste analysis as well as soil
August 2002- August 2003: Coordinator of short term training programmes which is responsible for 600 students Nov 1999-Aug. 2002: Associate Coordinator of short term training programmes The section is offering courses for evening and summer students and offers trainings from 1 week to 9 months on water quality, community related projects, irrigation, hydraulics, so on.
Oct 1997-Feb 1998: Acting Academic Vice Dean of Arba Minch Water Technology Institute
1997-1998: Coordinator of twining programme between Arba Minch water technology Institute and Loughborough University, WEDC
1994 – 1998: Member of the scholarship and Promotion committee of AWTI
1994 – 1998: Member of the Academic Commission of AWTI
1994 – 1998: Head of Environmental Engineering Department, AWTI the department offering courses for sanitary Engineering students, 5 years programme and advanced diploma, 3 years programme

Teaching Experience and Responsibilities Some of the courses I taught since October 1988.

Water Quality In the course physicochemical, bacteriological analysis of water and sanitary survey: - Lecture & practical
Soil Chemistry Analysis of the chemistry of soil like conductivity, pH, potassium, phosphate and potassium, etc.:- Practical
Solid waste Engineering In the course the management and technical aspect of solid waste are included: - Lecture
Sanitary Engineering laboratory Quality parameters of wastewater, water for treatment and for different purposes are included in the course:-Laboratory
Introduction to Environmental Engineering the course deals with mass balance, air pollution and preliminary water quality models, risk assessments, etc.:- Lecture
Environmental Chemistry The course deals with pollutants from Industrial, agricultural and municipal sources and their fate in the environment. : - Lecture
Environmental Engineering Laboratory Soil, water and air and wastewater, treatment parameters are given to students in three courses in three semesters. It is divided general parameters, anions and aggregate and metal parameters in three courses. In the meantime, students have a chance to use different instruments:- Lecture and Practical
Water quality analysis using instrument analysis Flame photometer, atomic absorption, UV /visible spectrophotometer, IR analysis refractometer are included:- Lecture and practical
Synthesis & characterization of inorganic complexes the course objective is to enable students synthesize inorganic molecules and characterize them using different wet and instrumental methods.:- Laboratory
Sustainable and Ecological Sanitation This course enables students to explain the process, the setup, the design and working feature of onsite and ecological sanitation systems. This translates in to ability to design onsite systems, design of biogas units, constructed wetlands and ecological sanitation units:- : Lecture
Aquatic chemistry and Environmental Sampling the course covers water chemistry and sampling of environmental samples and analysis parameters using Instruments: Lecture & Laboratory
Solid waste and Biosolid Engineering The course covers solid waste and biosolid handling, management and Engineering solution:- Lecture
Research Methods- conduct research, method of wrting, presentation:- Lecture
Environmental and social impact assessment(ESIA)- the covers- environmental legislation, regulation and process for predicting and assessing the potential environmental and social impacts of a proposed project, evaluating alternatives and designing appropriate mitigation, management and monitoring measures.: - Lecture
Water Treatment- covers conventional water treatment from preliminary to the final storage for distribution: - Lecture
Wastewater Treatment- covers conventional wastewater treatment principles, design of all treatment units from preliminary to final disposal and reuse:- Lecture
Onsite and decentralized sanitation system- covers topics from onsite sanitation technologies that are applied in most developing countries and communial wastewater treatment using natural systems (wetland and pnds as example):- Lecture
Community water supply and sanitation- course covers community adminstered water supply system design, adminstration and operation, treatment systems. Sources of water for community protection and supply:- Lecture
Water quality modeling – water qulaity modeling of natural and artificial impoundments and Rivers- Mass balance models and equations are derived with cases.:- Lecture

Employment record relevant to practical consultancy assignment

From March 2017 to current: NICHE Consulting Engineer plc Freelancer Environmentalist: Ethiopia: Carrying our environmental study
From March 2015 to December 2019: Tropics Consulting Engineer plc. Freelancer Environmentalist: Ethiopia: Carrying out environmental study
October 2017-December 2020: SMEC International Sanitation Expert Freelancer Environmentalist: Ethiopia : Carrying out sanitation planning, sanitation baseline studies, solid waste composting procedures supervision of sludge drying bed construction
From Nov.1988 to date: Arba Minch University Teaching/ Researcher/ Environmentalist: Ethiopia : Carrying out environmental study and researches Teach water treatment, wastewater treatment, water quality, solid waste, community water supply & EIA

Membership in Professional Associations and Publications

Member of the International Water Association (IWA) since 1997.
Member of the Chemical Society of Ethiopia since 1988-2000.
Affiliate member of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) 1998- 2000

Other Trainings

Postgraduate course on the use of constructed wetlands for water pollution control 15th to 17th June, 2012, Aarhus University, Denmark
Certificate Higrade (12 credit hrs)_Different courses in Higrade_Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ_Permoserstraße 15 I 04318 Leipzig, Germany
Sustainable sanitation course, Norwegian University of life sciences, June 02-28, 2008, concentrates on decentralized sanitation (constructed wetlands, urine diversion toilets, etc.)
Theoretical and practical training in Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) May 21-May 30 2008, in Ethiopia
Business process Reengineering (BPR) to redesign the University working system in Arba Minch, Ethiopia (March 2008, 5 days)
Tropical Limnology, Egerton University, Kenya, 17 September 2007 - 5 October 2007.
Post academic Training, Nederlanden-cyclus/ Low countries studies, University of Gent, Belgium, July 2004
National workshop on water quality and resources management Oct 21-27 1996
leadership skills from Feb 03-07/ 2003 in Ethiopian Management Institute, Ethiopia
water Pollution and its analysis: February 1997- March 1997 at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Kenya
Introduction to remote sensing and GIS July 1997

Major Conference Attended

From the 1st to 19th (up to 2019) symposium on Sustainable Water Resources Development, Arba Minch University, Arba Minch water Technology Institute, Ethiopia
Faecal Sludge Management Conference 2015, January 18- 22, 2015, Hanoi, Vietnam.
14th IWA International Conference Wetland systems for water pollution control 12-16 October 2014 Shanghai, China
14th symposium on Sustainable Water Resources Development, Arba Minch University, Arba Minch, Ethiopia
Wetpol 2013, 5th international Symposium, Nantes, France
Dry toilet 2012, Tampere, Finland
Wetpol 2011, 3rd international Symposium, Prague, Czech Republic
International IWA conference on: Sustainable sanitation solutions for small water and wastewater treatment systems (S2Small2010) Girona, Catalonia, Spain
First International Water Association Development congress 15-19 Nov 2009, Mexico city, Mexico
The 34th WEDC International conference: water, sanitation and hygiene sustainable development and multicultural approaches, 18-22 May 2009.
SUSANA ( sustainable sanitation network) meeting May 2009, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Attended from fifth to Twenty second annual Conference of the Chemical Society of Ethiopia (1988-2008)
Attended a conference on Nile basin initiative June 2007
Establishment Federation of African societies of Chemistry, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia February 23, 2006
Lake Abaya Research Symposium, 2007
Establishing meeting Asknet to monitor resource oriented sanitation network of African Universities, Entebbe, Nov. 2008
Biodiversity conservation the great Rift valley in East Africa
Workshop on Moringacea (Nov.12-14, 1994) AWTI

Research Supervision Experience

Overall research activities carried out are in Environmental Engineering and science including wastewater reuse and treatment with a particular passion for solving water quality problems associated with sustainable sanitation systems constructed treatment wetlands and ponds, integrated solid waste and limnology.

More than 25 MSc research advisor ship was conducted and in the process of conduction. The theses titles are presented below:

Yalelet Abera (2020) Impact of Lake Abaya water on irrigated farmland and soil quality, Mirab Abaya, Ethiopia
Yohannes Kifle (2020) Iron removal from ground water by gravel based aeration: a case study of Bonga town, Ethiopia
Woledesemayat Orkaido (2019) Water Supply and Sanitation Coverage and Infrastructure Service Sustainability: In Case of Konso Zone of Southern Nations Nationalities and Peoples Region
Atsede Gidey (2019) Biomethane potential determination of beverage industrial effluents of Mekele City
Masresha Berhanu (2019) Municipal solid waste characterisation and composting as a measure towards sustainable waste management in Arba Minch, Ethiopia
Melsew Endalew (2019) Recovery of phosphorous and nitrogen from human urine using local Dolomite rock, Arba Minch, Ethiopia
Samrawit Dereje (2019) Treatment efficiency and hydraulic performance of horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetlands
Bisrat Habtamu (2019) Utilization of agricultural solid wastes as an ecological approach for sanitary pads
Ailey Wondifraw (2019) Removal of iron from ground water by cascade aeration:the case of Basketo special Woreda
Haben Tesfay (2018) A multi-criteria approach to select sustainable decentralized wastewater treatment for arid campus- Mekele University
Demisie Dawana (2019) Characterization and biomethane potential determination of Arba Minch town slaughterhouse wastewater
Alemayehu Barka (2019) Performance evaluation of Jinka town water supply distribution system in SNNPR, Ethiopia.
Senait Selemon (2019) Analysis of Banana peel & Avocado seed for the removal of reactive red dyes from aqueus solution
Tsegaye Berhanu (2019) Causes and solution to the shortage of water supply in Hossana town, SNNPR, Ethiopia
Zenebe Amele (2018) Evaluating the performance of household biogas digesters interms of technical, socioeconomic and sustainability in Arba Minch Zuria Woreda
Feven Kinfe (2018) Treatment of condominium septic tank effluent with constructed wetland at Ethio Fishery site, Arba Minch, Ethiopia
Theodros Efrates (2018) Water supply and sanitation of Aykel townr
Emebet Asnake (2017) Water distribution modeling for the challenges of sustainable urban water supply the case of Woldiya town, Amhara Region, Ethiopia.
Tesfay Tsegay (2018) The impact of climatic factors on the performance of passive solar distiller – the case of Arba Minch town
Ashenafi Shibrie (2017) performance evaluation of urban water utilities in small towns: the case case of Tercha utility
Firew Demeke (2016) Assessment of the Water Quality of Kulfo, Hare and Sile River using Water Quality Index, Arba Minch Ethiopia
Aboma Terresa (2017) Performance evaluation and optimization of water supply- case study Goba town
Bahr Adem (2016) Impact of urban storm water runoff and domestic waste effluents on water quality of Kulfo River, Arba Minch Town
Medhin Shimelis (2016) GIS Based DSS For Systematized Water Distribution Network Asset Management System: Case of Harar Town, Ethiopia
Merrry Hassen (2016) Assessment of power for water supply pumping and analysis of the distribution of system: a case of Kamashi town, Beneshangul- Gumuz, Ethiopia
Mulugeta Shume (2015) Performance Assessment of Rain Water Harvesting Birkas: Case of Kebribeyah Woreda of Somali region, Ethiopia.
Uwizeye Alfred (2015) Assessment of Surface water quality in Rwanda: the case of Nyabugogo River
Asrat Kassie (Demelash co Advisor) (2015) Hydraulic Performance of Urban Water Supply Distribution System: a Case Study at Injibara Town Water Supply Project
Tilaye Hailegberel (co Advsior Dr Beshah m.) (2015) Technical performance evaluation of domestic roof water harvesting schemes: A Case Study of Berehet Woreda, North Showa Zone
Wubamilak Alehegn (Beshah Mogesse_ co Advisor) (2014) Technical Sustainability of Rural Water Supply Projects_In Case of Debere Elias Woreda
Dawit Shiferaw (2013) The Role of Depth in Nutrient up Take and Pathogen removal of Horizontal sub wet surface flow constructed land systems
Jibril Hussein (with Beshah Mogesse) (2015) Desalination of salty borehole water using solar still in the DOlo Ado district, Somali Region, Ethiopia
Tizita Debebe (2013) Anthropogenic pollution status of Kulfo River
Wondwossen Bekele (2012) Effect and attitude of untreated wastewater reuse for irrigation.
MossisaTeferi (2012) Evapotranspiration, Growth, Water Use Efficiency and Nutrient Removal of Three Emergent Macrophyte Species Used In Constructed Wetlands
Guide students who came for their research work in Ethiopia from University of zighen , Germany which came with twining programme Arba Minch university and University of Zighen. Title quality and quantity of Abaya and Chamo lakes and tributary rivers, Arba Minch, Ethiopia.
Guides students who came from Europe through Global Education Network (GLEN) in resource oriented sanitation, under ROSA, Arba Minch, Ethiopia.
Gedifew, et.al, (2006). Application of Arba Minch university old waste stabilization pond effluent for irrigation purpose
Abiyu, et al., (2006). Pollution status assessment of Kulfo river
Tesfaye, et al, (2006). Evaluation of the Arba Minch University waste stabilization pond in treating the waste
(2006). pesticide in Arba minch state farm
Abebaw, et al , (2007) Waste stabilization ponds in Arba Minch University
Fikre Asefa and Techale Dalecha et al., (2007) Arbaminch Town solid waste characterization and disposal options
Leuel, et al. (2008), Design of waste stabilization pond for Arba Minch University
Yesuf, et al., (2009) Human urine use as fertilizer on maize plant and its effect on soil in resource oriented sanitation
Binyam, et al., (2009). waste stabilization pond rehabilitation, design and wastewater reuse

Finished Research conference presentations and publication

Demisie Dawana and Kinfe Kassa (2020) Characterization and evaluation of biogas generation of Arba Minch Town slaughterhouse wastewater, Ethiopia. Water Practice & Technology Vol 15 No 4. doi: 10.2166/wpt.2020.071
Dorothee Spuhler, Verena Germann, Kinfe Kassa, Atekelt Abebe Ketema, Anjali Manandhar Sherpa, Mingma Gyalzen Sherpa, Max Maurer, Christoph Lüthi , Guenter Langergraber (2020) Developing sanitation planning options: A tool for systematic consideration of novel technologies and systems. Journal of Environmental Management. Vol 271. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.111004
Kassa, K., Ali, Y., Zewdie, W. (2018) Human urine as a source of nutrients for maize and its impacts on soil quality at Arba Minch, Ethiopia. Journal of water reuse and desalination
Kassa, K., Cherenet, M., Kelemework, G., Zewdie, B., Woldemedhin, A. (2017) Customer satisfaction survey: the case of urban water supply services in Southern Ethiopia. Water practice & Technology, Vol 12 No 4. doi:10.2166/wpt.2017.105
Teferi, T., Kassa, K., Reddythota, D. (2017) Selection of Mesocosms to remove nutrients with constructed wetlands. Journal of Ecological Engineering, vol 18, issue 4 pp 42-51. Doi:10.12911/22998993/74397
J., Kassa, K., Mogessie, B. (2016) Water purification with Direct Solar desalination technology for arid areas: Ethiopian Journal of water science and Technology , Arba Minch, Ethiopia
Kinfe Kassa (2015) experience of Faecal sludge management in Arba Minch, Ethiopia. Faecal Sludge Management Conference 2015, January 18- 22, 2015, Hanoi, Vietnam.
Cristina Ávila , Jaime Nivala , Linda Olsson, Kinfe Kassa, Tom Headley, Roland A.Muelle, Josep Maria Bayona, Joan García (2014). Emerging organic contaminants in vertical subsurface flow constructed wetlands: Influence of media size, loading frequency and use of active aeration. Science of the Total Environment 494–495 211–217. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.06.128
Kinfe Kassa, Tom Headley, Jaime Nivala, Manfred van Afferden, Matthias Barjenbruch, Roland Arno Müller (2014). Pollutant removal in horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetlands in Arba Minch, Ethiopia. 14th IWA International Conference Wetland systems for water pollution control 12-16 October 2014 Shanghai, China.
Kinfe Kassa, Tom Headley, Jaime Nivala, Manfred van Afferden, Matthias Barjenbruch, Roland Arno Müller (2014). Nitrogen Removal in subsurface flow Wetlands: effects of depth and plants: 14th symposium on Sustainable Water Resources Development, Arba Minch University, Arba Minch Ethiopia.
Nivala, J. Scott Wallace, Tom Headley, Kinfe Kassa, Hans Brix, Manfred van Afferden, Roland Müller (2012) Oxygen consumption in subsurface flow treatment wetlandsEcological Engineering √ Headley, T., J. Nivala, K. Kassa, L. Olsson, S. Wallace, H. Brix, M. Van Afferden, and R. Müller. 2013. Escherichia coli removal and internal dynamics in subsurface flow Ecotechnologies: Effects of design and plants: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoleng.2013.07.062. Ecological Engineering.
Kinfe Kassa, Tom Headley, Jaime Nivala, Katy Bernhard Manfred van Afferden, Matthias Barjenbruch, Roland Müller (2013) Comparison of the nitrification potential of passive and aerated horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetlands Wetpol 2013, 5th international Symposium, Nantes, France
Kinfe Kassa Ayano, Beshah Mogesse Behailu (2012) Experiences of Urine diverting dry toilets (UDDT) in Arba Minch, Ethiopia. Presented on Dry toilet 2012, Tampere, Finland
Kinfe Kassa, Tom Headley, Jaime Nivala, Katy Bernhard, Manfred van Afferden, Roland Müller, Matthias Barjenbruch (2011) Effect of depth and plants on treatment of municipal wastewater in horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetlands, Wetpol 2011, 3rd international Symposium, Prague, Czech Republic
Kinfe Kassa (2010) Experiences with the implementation and operation of decentralized resource-oriented sanitation systems in Arba Minch, Ethiopia. International IWA conference on: Sustainable sanitation solutions for small water and wastewater treatment systems (S2Small2010) Girona, Catalonia, Spain. Key note
Kinfe kassa (2010) the role of ecological sanitation on water quality. Workshop on Water Quality Challenges and Opportunities in Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Conference on Water Resources in Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 12-16 January 2010, Addis Ababa University
Langergraber, G., Meinzinger, F., Lechner, M., de Brujne, G., Sugden, S., Niwagaba, C.B., Kimaro, T.A., Mutua, B.M., Kassa, K., Komakech, R., Kimani, S.N., Kinyange, P., Ayele, W. (2009): Implementation of sustainable sanitation in Eastern African cities - the ROSA approach. In: Cossu, R., Diaz, L.F, Stegmann, R., (Eds.): 12th International Waste Management and Landfill Symposium "Sardinia 2009" – Executive Summaries, 5-9 October 2009, S. Margherita di Pula (Cagliari), Sardinia, Italy, pp.807-808.
Paul, A., Kinfe K. (1998). The Pollution potential of leachate and gas from Arba Minch Solid waste- some preliminary findings. Water, Ethiopian Journal of water science and Technology: pp 14-17
Sc thesis Title: water purification using Maerua subcordata: A plant called Maeura subcordata was checked for its turbidity removal and its effect on the water quality was studied.
Kassa, K., (2008): Indigenous knowledge towards water purification. Proceedings of workshop on status potentials and challenges of bio-cultural diversity conservation in SNNPR, Ethiopia, pp 85-95.
Kassa, K. (2008) Attempt to modify of the current urine diversion waterless toilet. Poster presentation for Conference Millennium development goals on sanitation " 30 September - 1 October 2008 Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Kassa, K. (2009).challenges and opportunities of resource oriented toilets at Arba Minch, Ethiopia, Reviewed. The 34th WEDC International conference: water, sanitation and hygiene sustainable development and multicultural approaches, pp. 435-438, 18-22 May 2009.