Affiliateship: 2021-2025
Cohort 6
Country (Nationality)
Ethiopia
Discipline
Geological, Environmental, Earth & Space Sciences
Bio
Dr. Behailu Birhanu is a hydrogeologist based at Addis Ababa Science and Technology University. He is currently an African Fellow in Groundwater Management at Addis Ababa University in collaboration with the University Oxford under the REACH (water security for the poor) program. Recently, he has tested a data-intensive methodological approach on dynamic integration of surface and groundwater systems by using Water Evaluation and Planning (WEAP) and three-dimensional groundwater flow (MODFLOW) models. The methodology was applied to simulate the water supply sources of Addis Ababa city, in which impacts of natural (climate change/variability) and anthropogenic stresses (population, water supply expansion schemes) have been evaluated.
Behailu has served as Head, the School of Natural Resources and Environmental Studies (Hawassa University, Wondo Genet Collge of Forestry and Natural Resources); Dean, the School of Earth Sciences and Engineering (Addis Ababa Science and Technology University); GIS unit coordinator (Geological Survey of Ethiopia); and Dean, College of Applied Sciences (Addis Ababa Science and Technology University).
As a researcher, he had a chance to be part of national and international level tasks namely: boosting integrated rural water development (funded by Austrian Red Cross), identifying and characterizing groundwater development pathways in Africa to improve the livelihood of small scale farmers (funded by DIFID); evaluating water resources pollution and environmental policy issues, (funded by SOS Sahle); intrinsic vulnerability mapping of groundwater resources (Funded by Ethiopian Ministry of Mines and Electricity, Basin Development Authority).