Full Name

Mekuria  Argaw                                               

Education

·         Ph.D (2000-2005): Ecology and Natural Resources Management; University of Bonn, Center for Development Research (ZEF), Germany

·         Postdoc (2005):  University of Bonn, Center for Development Research, Germany

·         M.Sc. (1998): Natural Forest Management; Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SUAS), Umea, Sweden

·          B.Sc. (1993): General Forestry Science; Alemaya University of Agriculture, Ethiopia

·         Postgradaute Diploma (2011): Climate Science and Climate Change, Climate Change Management Tools in Urban Environment; Erasmus University of Rotterdam, Netherlands.

·         Certificate (2010-2011): Climate Change Adaptation in Agriculture and Natural Resource Management. Regional training by Wagening Unirvesity and HoAREC, Addis Ababa University.

·         Certificate (2002): Natural Resources Management and Land Use Planning; International Institue for Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation (ITC), Enschede, Netherlands

·         Certificate (2007): Remote Sensing for Water and Environmental Management, Water Action and Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia.

·         Diploma (2016): Certificate of Competency for Teaching in Higher Education Institutions, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia.

Academic rank

Associate Professor (2014)

Working for AAU Since

Since November, 2006:

Taught and Teach Courses:

·         Land Degradation and Rehabilitation

·         Integrated Watershed Management

·         Research Method

·         Environmental Modelling

·         Biodiversity Management  

·         Climate change Adaptation and Mitigation

Advisership/Mentorship:

·         Advised and co-advised more than 120 MSc students of CES/AAU

·         Advised and co-advised more than 13 PhD students of CES/AAU

·         Advised and co-advised 3 MSc and 4 PhD students of UNISA

·         Examined 6 PhD thesis of AAU; 2 PhD thesis of UNISA; 1 PhD thesis in SQU-Oman

·         Examined more than 80 MSc thesis at AAU; more than 20 MSc thesis at Ambo, Hawassa and Haromaya Universities

Administrative positions held if any/past and present

·         Executive Director (2018-to date): Horn of Africa Regional Environment Center and Network, Addis Ababa University

·         Director/Head (2010-2013): Center for Einvironmental Science, College of Natural and Computational Science, Addis Ababa University

·         Coordinator (2008-2010): Horn of Africa Regional Environment Center and Network, College of Natural Science, Addis Ababa University

·         National Coordinator (2007-2013): Global Learning to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) for STEM education, College of Natural Science, Addis Ababa University

·         Coordinator (2010–2013): Demand Driven Action Research for the Horn of Africa Regional Environment Center, College of Natural Science

·         Member of the Center Academic Committee (2014-2019): Center for Environmental Science, College of Natural Science, Addis Ababa University

·         Member of Curriculum Review Committee (2013-2019): Center for Environmental Science, College of Natural Science, Addis Ababa University

·         Initiated and led the establishment of the Climate Science Center (2010-2014): as an outcome of the participation of the College staff at COP 15 of the UNFCCC, College of Natural Science,  Addis Ababa University

·         Served in various committees: College Budget Allocation Committee, Environmental Education Review Committee of AAU, Technical Advisory Committee to the Climate Science Center, College of Natural Science

Awards and  

Recognitions

Memberships of international bodies/ journals- editorial roles initiatives etc.

Scholarship and Research Fund Awards:

·         SIDA/SAREC Scholarship Award (1996): AUA/Wondogenet College and SUAS Sandwitch Training Program

·         German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) Scholarship Award (2000): Bonn International Graduate School for Development Research (BIGS-DR) Doctoral program, Center for Development Research (ZEF), University of Bonn, Germany.

·         German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) Research Fellow Award (2008): University of Bonn, Center for Development Research, Germany

·         NUFFIC Scholarship Award (2011): Erasmus University of Rotterdam, Short Course Program at IHS, Rotterdam, Netherlands.

·         NARF (National Agricultural Research Fund) Award (2009-2012): World Bank Fund for a project on: “Land Degradation and Sustainable Land Use in Ethiopia: Is Resettlement an Option” 8 MSc Students trained in the project.

·         AAU Thematic Research Award (2010-2014) on “Area Closure as a Strategy of Large-Scale Degraded Environment Rehabilitation and Climate Change Adaptation”. 2 PhD and 4 MSc students are engaged in the project.

·         AAU Thematic Research Award (2016-2019) on “Impacts of Climate Change on Enset (Ensete ventricosum (Welw.) Cheesman) Production, Resilience and Local Adaptation Strategies”. 2 PhD and 3 MSc students engaged in the project.

·         “Horn of Africa-Environmental Sustainability and Resilience (HoA-ESR)” (2019): Designed and won the project fund for the Horn of Africa Regional Environment Center to be implemented in six of the Horn of African countries through HoAREC/N in the period 2019-2023.

Memberships: National and International:

·         Member of the International Advisory Group for Education and Science (2010-2017), the GLOBE Program, University of Colorado, USA

·         Member of the national SLM Technical Advisory Committee (2006 – 2012): the Sustainable Land Management (SLM) Program; Ministry of Agriculture

·         Board Member and Chairman (2010-2018): Ethiopian Wildlife and Natural History Society (I was Awarded with a Centerificate for outstanding achievement)

·         Board Member of the Environmental Society of Ethiopia (2008 – 2019), College of Natural Science, Addis Ababa University

·         Lead Author (2014-2018) at IPBES in the African Regional Assessment of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, Chapter 8 of the Assessment Report at https://ipbes.net/assessment-reports/africa

·         Lead Author (2014-2018) at IPBES in the Global Assessment of Land Degradation and Restoration, Chapter 6 of the Assessment Report at https://ipbes.net/assessment-reports/ldr

·         Author (Chapters 3 and 4 Contributing Author) (2018-to date) at Ethiopian Biodiversity Institute for the National Assessment of BES (Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services) on Mountain Ecosystems

·         Member of the international task force for the Scenarios and Models (2019-onwards) for the IPBES Global Assessments on Values, Sustainability, Nexus between Food, Water, Biodiversity and Health

·         Member of the UKRI (UK Research and Innovation) International Peer Review College (2017-2019): for the Global Challenge Research Fund (GCRF)

·         Member of the Editorial Board (2019-onwards) of the Journal “Frontiers in sustainable Cities” and Review Editor in Urban Greening Section

Journal Reviewer:

·         SINET:  Ethiopian Journal of Science, College of Natural Science

·         African journal of Ecology

·         African Academy of Sciences

·         Elsevier: Science of the Total Environment

·         Ethiopian Journal of Development Research (College of Social Science)

Curriculum Review

Reviewed Environmental curriculum of Ambo University, Bahir Dar University, Sultan Qabuz University, Hope University, Madawalabu University, 

Address

First Address:

Campus: Arat Kilo

Building name: Post Graduate Building

Floor number: 6th

Office room no.:  605

Office Tel: +251-11-6551910

Mobile: +251-911-191568

University email ID: mekuria.argaw@aau.edu.et  

Alternative email ID: mekuriaa69@gmail.com;

Second Address:

Gullele Botanic Garden, HoAREC/N Head quarter

Tel.: 0118968400; 0911191568

e.mail: mekuriaa@hoarec.org

Research interest/not more than hundred words

·         Forest Ecology and Management,

·         Environmental Processes and Modeling,

·         Environmental Management,

·         Dry land Ecology, Seed Ecology,

·         Climate Change, Carbon Sequestration, Climate Smart Agriculture,

·         Land Degradation and Sustainable Land Management,

·         Earth Observation Systems (GIS and Remote Sensing),

·         Ecological and Environmental Impacts Assessments,

·        Watershed Management, Ecosystems Management

Publications on reputable journals

1.    Temesgen Gashaw, Taffa Tulu, Mekuria Argaw and Abeyou W. Worqlul.2019. Modeling the impacts of land use–land cover changes on soil erosion and sediment yield in the Andassa watershed, upper Blue Nile basin, Ethiopia. Environmental Earth Sciences Vol., 78:679, https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-019-8726-x.

2.    Temesgen Gashaw Taffa Tulu , Mekuria Argaw , Abeyou W. Worqlul , Terefe Tolessa, Mengistie Kindu. 2018. Estimating the impacts of land use/land cover changes on Ecosystem Service Values: The case of the Andassa watershed in the Upper Blue Nile basin of Ethiopia. Vol. 31, 219-228. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoser.2018.05.0012212-0416/ 2018 Elsevier B.V.

3.    Temesgen Gashaw, Taffa Tulu, Mekuria Argaw and Abeyou W. Worqlul. 2018. Land capability classification for planning land uses in the Geleda watershed, Blue Nile Basin, Ethiopia. Modeling Earth Systems and Environment,  https://doi.org/10.1007/s40808-018-0448-7

4.    Temesgen Gashaw, Taffa Tulu, Mekuria Argaw and Abeyou W. Worqlul. 2018. Modeling the hydrological impacts of land use/land cover changes in the Andassa watershed, Blue Nile Basin, Ethiopia. Science of the Total Environment, Vol. 619–620, pp. 1394–1408. www.elsevier.com/locate/scitotenv

5.    Aynalem M. Dilla . Philip J. Smethurst . Karen Barry . David Parsons . Mekuria A. Denboba. 2018. Tree pruning, zone and fertilizer interactions determine maize productivity in the Faidherbia albida (Delile) A. Chev, parkland agroforestry system of Ethiopia. Agroforestry Systems, Springer Nature. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-018-0304-9(0123456789.().,-volV()0123456789().,-volV)

6.    Getachew B. Demissea, Tsegaye Tadesse, Yared Bayissa, Solomon Atnafu, Mekuria Argaw and Dessie Nedaw. 2018. Vegetation condition prediction for drought monitoring in pastoralist areas: a case study in Ethiopia. International journal of remote sensing, https://doi.org/10.1080/01431161.2017.1421797.

7.    Aynalem Dilla, Philip J Smethurst, David Parsons, Karen Barry and Mekuria Denboba. 2017. Potential of the APSIM model to simulate impacts of shading on maize productivity. Agroforestry Systems, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-017-0119-0.

8.    Temesgen Gashaw, Taffa Tulu, Mekuria Argaw and Abeyou W.Worqlul. 2017. Evaluation and prediction of land use/land cover changes in the Andassa watershed, Blue Nile Basin, Ethiopia. Environmental Systems Research, http:// DOI 10.1186/s40068-017-0094-5.   

9.    Asfaw Engida, Suryabhagavn, K.V. and Mekuria Argaw. 2017. Remote sensing and GIS-based integration of ground water level dynamics and soil salinity comparison of Wonji sugar cane irrigation farm, Ethiopia. Journal of Environmental Research and Development, Vol. 11, No.3, PP. 608-616.

10.  Yemenzwork Endale, Abayneh Derero, Mekuria Argaw and Catherine Muthuri. 2017. Farmland tree species diversity, distribution pattern and socioeconomic uses in the Central Rift Valley, Ethiopia. Forests, Trees and Livelihoods, VoL.26, no. 3, 199–214.

11.  Fekadu Debushe, Teshome Soromessa and Mekuria Argaw. 2015. Structure, Species Composition and Status of Naturally Regenerated Woody Species in Eucalyptus globulus Labill. (Myrtaceae) Plantation at Entoto Mountain, Ethiopia. Journal of Environment and Earth Science, 5 (15): 41-52. ISSN 2224-3216 (Paper) ISSN 2225-          0948 (Online).

12.  Hamere Yohannes, Teshome Soromessa, Mekuria Argaw. 2015. Carbon Stock Analysis Along Altitudinal Gradient in Gedo Forest: Implications for Forest Management and Climate Change Mitigation. American Journal of Environmental Protection. Vol. 4, No. 5, pp. 237-244. doi: 10.11648/j.ajep.20150405.14

13.  Baudron, F., Aynalem Mamo, Dereje Tirfessa, Mekuria Argaw. 2015. Impact of farmland exclosure on the productivity and sustainability of a mixed crop-livestock system in the Central Rift Valley of Ethiopia, Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, Vol.(207), 109–118.

14.  Mekuria Argaw and Tamirat Kassa. 2014. The Environmental Impacts of Resettlements and Refugees on the Forest Resources of Southwest Ethiopia. In: Carlos Bouza (eds.), “Deforestation: Conservation Policies, Economic Implications and Environmental Impact”. Nova science publishers, Inc. New York.

15.  Mekonen Anberber, Mekuria Argaw and Zemede Asfaw. 2014. The role of home gardens for in situ conservation of plant biodiversity in Holeta Town, Oromia National Regional State, Ethiopia. International Journal of Biodiversity and Conservation, 6(1), pp, 8-16.

16.  Mengesha Asefa, Mekuria Argaw and Azamal Husen. 2013. Algal biomass and nutrient enrichment in the Angereb reservoir, Gondar, Ethiopia. Environment and Experimental Biology. 11, pp: 91-98

17.  Getachew Kabite, K.V.Suryabhagavan, Mekuria Argaw, Hameed Sulaiman. 2012. GIS-Based Solid Waste Landfill Site Selection in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. International Journal of Ecology and Environmental Sciences 38 (2-3): 59-72.

18.  Solomon Addisu, Mekuria Argaw and Hameed Sulayman. 2012. Localized Environmental Degradation Due to the Offshoots of Highway Development Projects: The case of Centeral Ethiopian Highlands. Global Advanced Research Journal of Geography and Regional Planning. 1 (5), pp. 88-98.

19.  Haileyesus Brook, Mekuria Argaw, Hameed Sulaiman and Tamiru Alemu. 2011. The Impact of Land Use Land Cover Change on the Hydrological Components Due to Resettlement Activities: SWAT Model Approach. International Journal of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, 37:1, 49-60.

20.  Mekuria Argaw, P.L.G. Vlek, M. Denich. 2012. Application of the caesium-137 Technique to Study Soil Erosion in the Southwestern Highlands of Ethiopia. Land Degradation and Development, 23:5, 456-464.

21.  Mekuria Argaw and Tamirat Kassa.2010. Impact of Resettlement and Refugees on the Natural Vegetation:the Case of Abobo and Fugnido Sites in Gambela. Deutcher Tropentag, September 14-16, 2010, Zurich. 

22.  Shetie Gatew and Mekuria Argaw. 2010. Spatial Distribution and Ecological Impact of Prosopis Juiliflora in Afar Region. VDM Verlag, Saarbrucken, Germany.

23.  Legesse G/Meskel, Mekuria Argaw and Hameed Sulaiman. 2009. Sustainable Land Resources Management: A basis for Agricultural Production and Rural Livelihood. VDM Verlag, Saarbrucken, Germany.

24.  Negibe Mohammed and Mekuria Argaw. 2009. Impact of ‘katikala’ Production on the Degradation of Woodland Vegetation and Emission of Co and PM during Distilation in Arsi-Negele Wereda, Central Rift Valley of Ethiopia.

25.  Bezaye Gorfu and Mekuria Argaw. 2009. Urban Solid Waste Management and the Rural-Urban Linkage in Nutrient Flow.

26.  Mekuria Argaw and Dejytnu Tilahun. 2008. The Role of Reed Grass (Arundo donax) in riparian vegetation to mitigate river pollution: the case of Bulbula River, Addis Ababa In: ‘Proceeding on competition for Resources in a Changing World: New Drive for Rural Development” Oct. 7-9, Hohenheim, Germany. (http://www.tropentag.de/2008/). 

27.  Mekuria Argaw. 2006. Conservation and Utilization Guidelines for the Moist Montane Forests of Southwest Ethiopia. Institute of Biodiversity conservation, Addis Ababa.

28.  Mekuria Argaw, Tadesse W.Mariam, Abebe Yadessa, Abayneh Derero, Abrehet G.Hiwot and Kidane Woldu. 2005. Trees on Farms and their Uses in a Rural Community: the case of Jelo Dida Village, East Shoa Zone, Central Rift Valley. Journal of Ethiopian Wildlife and Natural History Society. No. 24:  21-33.

29.  Mekuria Argaw and Vlek, P.L.G. 2005. Newcomers get it all wrong: land degradation in Ethiopia. Center for Development Research (ZEF) Science Bulletin  No. 17, Bonn University, Germany.

30.  Mekuria Argaw, Vlek, P.L.G, Park, S.J., Denich, M. and Demel Teketay. 2004. Assessment of Soil Erosion Using ¹³⁷Cs in Cultivated Fields Following Natural Forest Conversion in the Kefa Zone of Southwest Ethiopia. In: ‘Proceeding on Rural Poverty Reduction through Research for Development Transformation’ Oct. 5-7, Berlin, Germany. (http://www.tropentag.de/2004/)

31.  Mekuria Argaw, Demel Teketay and Olsson, M. 1999: Soil seed flora, germination and regeneration pattern of woody species in an Acacia woodland of the Rift Valley in Ethiopia. Journal of Arid Environments, 43: 411 – 435.

32.        Mekuria Argaw, Awole Mela and Workicho Jateno. 1999. Conservation Based Dodota Integrated Rural Development Project. Working document, III. SHDI, Addis Ababa.

Teaching Philosophy

“Teaching is a profession that requires the highest standards of self-discipline, proficiency and sufficiency in knowledge of the subject to be taught and the highest level of morality, ethics and personality. The teacher is an integral and central part of the knowledge transfer process. I believe teaching happens when it flows in two ways. Teaching is an art of transforming a person’s state of knowledge about a subject from a level of none or little existence to a level of theoretical-mastery to practical application. Teaching requires an energized, motivated and active learner. The teacher is the prime figure to create an active learner and critical thinker. Actively participating learners are essential to effectively transfer knowledge that can be applied to solve societal and environmental problems. Teaching effectiveness is “a synchrony in a dancing floor” of the teacher and the learners. Learning through inquiry is achieved when the lecture from the teacher is equally countered with queriers of any sort from the learners. This is how I like to do teaching and it proved successful in transferring knowledge. Teaching through one-way flow of lecture produces passive spectators and unskilled pseudo-xperts”

“Learning has no end” a person always learns through the journey of life!!