Getachew Tegegne

Dr. Getachew Tegegne serves as a Research Project Coordinator in Climate Change and Water Resources Management at the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, Climate Action Lever, based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. He coordinates multidisciplinary research and development initiatives focused on climate resilience, climate services, water resources management, and agricultural adaptation across Africa. Dr. Getachew received his Ph.D. in Climate Change Adaptation in Water Resources from Seoul National University in February 2017. He subsequently worked as a Postdoctoral Researcher at Seoul National University for three and a half years, contributing to several highly funded international projects in hydrology, water resources management, and climate change adaptation. He also served as a Postdoctoral Associate at Florida International University, where he contributed to research on climate services and climate risk management in agriculture. Dr. Getachew is a researcher and practitioner with recognized expertise in climate services, climate risk management in agriculture, hydrology, drought and flood forecasting and management, climate-smart agriculture, watershed management, climate-resilient WASH, remote sensing applications in hydrology, and agricultural water management. A major focus of his recent work is the development and operationalization of user-centered climate intelligence and early warning systems for pastoral and agro-pastoral regions. As a research project coordinator, he has led initiatives on water monitoring and early warning systems tailored to dryland livelihoods, integrating remote sensing, hydrological modeling, climate forecasts, geospatial analytics, and citizen-science observations to support anticipatory decision-making and climate resilience. His work includes developing drought early warning systems for drylands, enabling governments, communities, and humanitarian actors to anticipate climate shocks and take early action. He has also led waterpoint monitoring and water balance modeling initiatives for pastoral and mixed crop–livestock systems, forecasting water availability and waterpoint conditions through integration of climate forecasts, field observations, and satellite-derived hydro-climatic data.
Beyond research and system development, Dr. Getachew has extensive experience in capacity building, institutional strengthening, and knowledge dissemination. He has delivered training programs and stakeholder engagement processes to strengthen climate adaptation, water management, and early warning capacities. He works closely with governments, research institutions, and development partners to translate science into policy and practice. Complementing his implementation and coordination roles, he has authored more than 45 peer-reviewed scientific publications in climate adaptation, hydrology, and water resources management, contributing significantly to evidence-based climate-resilient development.