The topic of the dissertation was Remote Sensing Based Evapotranspiration Modelling for Irrigation Performance Assessment in Jedeb Watershed, Upper Blue Nile Basin, Ethiopia.

AccurateETa and irrigated area maps are important in assessing irrigation performance to improve water resource management. Yilikal’s study compared GEE machine learning algorithms for irrigated area mapping, customized the SEBALI model using high-resolution LULC and Python, and evaluated the performance of a small-scale irrigation scheme using remote sensing in the Jedeb watershed, Upper Blue Nile.

Yilikal said the main inputs of the study were Sentinel-1, Sentinel-2, Landsat 8, and ERA5 reanalysis data. Random Forestclassifier found consistent in mapping irrigated areas. SEBALI was validated using ETa fromEC, SWAT+ model, and WaPOR. SEBALIGEEpy provides accurate ETa with fewer missing records. Shimburit scheme showed good equity and satisfactory water distribution among fields and within the field with OCR of 0.54 and 0.43 and mean CWP of wheat estimated 2.49 kg/m3 for the two seasons. The study showed the potential of remote sensing to evaluate irrigation performance and water productivity per field within smallholder irrigation schemes.

Prof. Feleke Zewge chaired the defense session, with Dr. Tena Alamirew from Addis Ababa University, as the main supervisor and Dr. Abebe Demissie from IHE Delft Institute for Water Education, Delft, and The Netherlands as co-supervisor.
Dr. Zeleke Agide from Addis Ababa University and Prof. Assefa M. Melesse, from Florida International University, served as internal examiner and external examiners, respectively.

The Consultative Workshop entitled “Groundwater Resources Mapping and Assessment in Selected Woredas and Strengthening Capacity at Regional and Woreda Levels” marked a significant step in addressing the critical issue of groundwater management in the region. With key participants, including representatives from Africa Center of Excellence for Water Management, Climate Resilient Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (CR WASH) Activity, UNICEF, and the FDRE Ministry of Water and Energy, the workshop brought together a diverse group of stakeholders dedicated to enhancing water resource management.

Groundwater is a vital resource, particularly in regions where surface water sources are scarce or unreliable. As climate change exacerbates water scarcity and affects rainfall patterns, the need for sustainable management of groundwater becomes increasingly urgent. This workshop focused on mapping and assessing groundwater resources, which is essential for informed decision-making and resource allocation. Accurate mapping provides valuable insights into the quantity, quality, and distribution of groundwater, allowing local authorities to manage this resource effectively.

The outcomes of this consultative workshop stand to significantly impact groundwater management in the selected woredas. By fostering dialogue among experts and stakeholders, the workshop aimed to create a coordinated framework for future mapping and assessment initiatives. The insights gained will contribute to crafting strategies that not only improve water resource management but also enhance the livelihoods and resilience of local communities relying on these vital resources.

The Consultative Workshop on groundwater resources mapping and assessment represents a proactive step toward sustainable water management in the region. By working collaboratively and focusing on capacity building, stakeholders are laying the groundwork for a comprehensive approach to groundwater resource management. As challenges related to water scarcity continue to escalate, the principles and strategies discussed during the workshop will play a crucial role in ensuring equitable and sustainable access to groundwater for generations to come.

GILBERT CHIFUNDO HAS SUCCESSFULLY DEFENDED HIS PHD DISSERTATION

The title of his dissertation is “Heavy Metal Removal from Wastewater Utilizing an Adsorbent Immobilized on an Inclined Plate Settler”. The study aimed to developing an innovative wastewater treatment prototype integrating Inclined Plate Settlers (IPS) and Composite Adsorbent Coating (CAC) for heavy metal removal from aqueous solutions, improving its practicality for large-scale applications.

Dr Beteley Tekola chaired the defense session with Prof. Yonas Chebude from Addis Ababa University as the main supervisor and Dr Shimeles Kebede from Addis Ababa University as co-supervisor. Prof. Feleke Zewge from Addis Ababa University and Prof., Dr.-Ing Esayas Alemayehu from Jimma University served as the internal and external examiners, respectively.

The Africa Center of Excellence for Water Management extended warm congratulations to Dr. Gilbert Chifundo and wishes him all the best in his future career.

The Africa Center of Excellence for Water Management (ACEWM), internationally accredited by the German-based Agency for Quality Assurance through Accreditation of Study Programs (AQAS) which is the first of its kind in Ethiopia, is an initiative of the Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and the World Bank Group and through the Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA) Regional Center hosted by the Addis Ababa University (AAU).

Since 2016, t h e ACEWM has been offering interdisciplinary MSc and PhD programs in the fields of Water Management, with the primary purpose of training the next generation of water educators, researchers, managers, and professionals and engaging in community outreach activities. Currently, the ACEWM ( ) has several PhD and MSc students from Eastern and Southern Africa and Europe. ACEWM has established partnerships with different universities nationally, region- ally and internationally to collaborate in capacity building, faculty and student exchanges, research and internships. ACEWM engages high caliber and renowned pro- fessionals in the field of water management from different disciplines.

The title of his dissertation is “Groundwater Recharge Input Uncertainty Assessment in the Tikur Wuha River Catchment, Rift Valley Lakes Basin, Ethiopia”.

Dr. Tsegamlak has said despite the availability of groundwater recharge estimation methods, result acquired is still variable and uncertain. His study focus on investigating groundwater recharge estimation uncertainty caused due to input rainfall and evapotranspiration data in the Tikur Wuha watershed. WetSpa was used to simulate 30,000 possible combinations of parameters for three model setups; where required parameter combinations were generated using Monte Carlo simulation stratified by applying Latin Hypercube Sampling. One hundred best performing parameter combinations were selected for each model setup to generate spatial recharge statistics and assess the resulting uncertainty.

Dr. Tsegamlak stated PVE improvement up to 70% (wet) and 50% (dry) of rainfall was achieved through merging technique. Additionally, the use of improved CHIRP-based merged rainfall has reduced the recharge uncertainty. Furthermore, replacement of evapotranspiration estimates with GLEAM data set has reduced the Cv value by 54%. Future studies are recommended to consider contribution of irrigation, for the analysis of recharge uncertainty.

Prof. Feleke Zewge,was the chairperson of the defense session of this dissertation. The dissertation was mainly supervised by Dr. Fasikaw Atanaw from Bahir Dar University and co-supervised by two experts namely Dr. Dessie Nedaw and Dr. Sirak Tekleab both from Addis Ababa University. Prof. Seifu Admassu from Bahir Dar University and Prof. Assefa M. Melesse, from Florida International University, Miami, Florida, USA were internal and external examiners respectively.

The title of his dissertation is “Enhanced removal of pharmaceutical contaminants from water using electrochemical oxidation coupled with adsorption process”.

Dr. Wondimu stated Water contamination with pharmaceuticals is an emerging environmental challenge. Due to high consumption and uncontrolled release, acetaminophen (ACM), ciprofloxacin (CIP), amoxicillin (AMX), and atenolol (ATN) are frequently found in water resources, requiring technologicalintervention.

His study investigates electrochemical oxidation (EO), adsorption (employing bamboo sawdust-derived adsorbent), and coupled process (EO+adsorption) for removing these pharmaceuticals from water. Dr. Wondimu’s findings indicate that EO and adsorption are efficient in removing single/binary pharmaceuticals (ACM/CIP) from a simple water matrix but exhibit reduced efficiency in complex matrices. Moreover, EO and adsorption show limited efficiency in multiple pharmaceuticals (ACM+CIP+AMX+ATN) removal from water. Dr. Wondimu said these noted limitations are addressed through coupling EO with adsorption. The benefit of coupling EO with adsorption becomes increasingly pronounced when transitioning from singleto multiple pharmaceuticalsremoval and with increasing matrix complexity. The study concludes that the coupled process shows a notable synergy in removing pharmaceuticals, especially in scenarios involving diverse pharmaceuticals and complex water matrices.

Prof. Yonas Chebude,was the chairperson of the defense session of this dissertation.The dissertation was mainly supervised by Prof. Joon Wun Kang from Yonsei University Mirae Campus; Gangwon-do, South Korea where as Dr. Beteley Tekola from Ababa University was Co-supervisor. Prof. Nigus Gabbiye from Bahir Dar University and Dr. Yeojoon Yoon from Yonsei University Mirae Campus, Gangwon-do, South Korea were internal and external examiners respectively.

The topic of Dr. Thandile’s dissertation is Sustainable Management of Water Resources for Addis Ababa City, Ethiopia, in the Face of Infrastructure Expansion, Population Growth and Climate Change.

Dr. Thandile stated the city of Addis Ababa has been urbanizing and expanding faster at an accelerated rate. Notable in this phase is the increased water pollution, contributing to water availability and quality issues within the city. Her study examines the impact of urban growth and climate change on surface water availability and quality in Addis Ababa city, Ethiopia. The impacts of land use/land cover dynamics and climate change on water quality and hydrology in the city were evaluated. Underlying causes of Addis Ababa’s water supply and quality issues and the residents’ willingness to pay for the improvement of the water supply system in the city are also quantified using participatory approach methods.

Her finding show that Addis Ababa’s water quality has been declining over the years. Projections under CMIP 6 SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5 scenarios show that temperatures and evapotranspiration will continue to increase whilst the water yield decreases, negatively impacting the water availability and quality. It was revealed that the water utilities currently do not have enough financial capacity to manage the water supply system efficiently and that most of the residents were dissatisfied by the current service but willing to pay for its improvement. The study concludes that the capacity for water to support the needs of residents in the city is near its limit under current management practices.

Prof. Abebe Getahun,was the chairperson of the defense session of this dissertation. The dissertation was mainly supervised by Prof. Brook Lemma from Addis Ababa University where as Dr. Binyam Tesfaw similarly from Addis Ababa University, was Co-supervisor. Prof. Tenalem Ayenew from Addis Ababa University and Prof. Zinabu Gebremariam from Hawassa University, were internal and external examiners respectively.

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.