Dr. Eng. Mitiku Bedru Gochefo
Dr. Eng. Mitiku Bedru Gochefo
Dr. Eng. Mitiku Bedru Gochefo is a senior hydraulic and irrigation engineer, water-resources professional, institutional leader and government adviser with more than three decades of progressive experience. His career has developed from practical irrigation design, small-scale and micro earth dams and rural infrastructure into university teaching, engineering-consultancy management, regional water-sector leadership, WASH, small-scale irrigation capacity development, economic and infrastructure advisory work, and national-level responsibilities in water and energy cooperation.
He holds a BSc in Irrigation Engineering from Arba Minch Water Technology Institute, an MSc in Hydraulic Engineering with specialization in Land and Water Development from IHE Delft, and a PhD in Leadership. He is registered as a Practicing Professional Hydraulic Engineer. Since June 2025, he has served as Senior Adviser to the Minister on Foreign Relations at Ethiopia's Ministry of Water and Energy. His assignments also include service as a representative of the Ethiopian Project Advisory Committee (PAC) of the AUDA–NEPAD MPA WASH Programme for Eastern and Southern Africa and as the Ministry's focal person for the African Union Commission Climate-Resilient Water Investment Programme and its associated project-pipeline development.
Selected Professional Achievement
A career progression from irrigation-design engineering and small-scale earth-dam development to regional irrigation leadership, water-resources bureau management, engineering-consultancy leadership, WASH advisory services, small-scale irrigation capacity development and senior government advisory responsibilities. His current work connects Ethiopia's national water and energy priorities with African regional cooperation through the AUDA–NEPAD MPA WASH Programme and the African Union Commission Climate-Resilient Water Investment Programme and associated project-pipeline development.
Selected Engineering and Water-Sector Experience
Representative assignments showing the progression of Dr. Mitiku's work from practical irrigation and rural-infrastructure design to major land-and-water development, programme leadership and national and African water-sector cooperation.
HARE Irrigation Project — 1995
BSc graduation project prepared with Tamir Mitiku, Seid Shimelis and Mesfin Hagos at Arba Minch Water Technology Institute, forming an early foundation in integrated irrigation design.Early Design Assignments — Southern Ethiopia
Identification and feasibility work for the Alduba small-scale earth dam; study and design of diversion-irrigation schemes; and leadership of small bridge study and design assignments in Dawro Zone.Bura & Kuraz Development Assignments
Pre-feasibility work at IHE Delft for approximately 14,500 hectares of irrigated agriculture in Bura, Kenya, followed later by contribution to Kuraz Sugar Development proposals for a planned net irrigable area exceeding 150,000 hectares.SMIS & African Water Cooperation
Regional leadership of small-scale and household micro-irrigation capacity development, followed by current Ministry responsibilities involving AUDA–NEPAD MPA WASH and the African Union Commission Climate-Resilient Water Investment Programme.Key Expertise Areas
- Hydraulic Engineering and Irrigation Engineering
- Small-Scale Irrigation and Household Micro-Irrigation
- Micro-Earth Dams and Diversion Irrigation Schemes
- Irrigation Potential Assessment, Reconnaissance and Feasibility Studies
- Detailed Irrigation Design and Land & Water Development
- Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM)
- Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)
- Water-Resources Institutional Development
- Engineering Consultancy and Construction-Supervision Management
- Project and Programme Leadership
- Public-Sector Infrastructure and Development Advisory Work
- Climate-Resilient Water Investment
- Regional and International Water Cooperation
- AUDA–NEPAD MPA WASH Programme — Project Advisory Committee Representation
- African Union Commission Climate-Resilient Water Investment Programme
- Climate-Resilient Water-Investment Project-Pipeline Development
- Professional Capacity Development and Training Systems
View the complete professional record: Open full professional CV
Professional Tools & Methods
GIS | ArcView | IDRISI | AutoCAD
Results-Based Project Cycle Management
Procurement | Finance | Contract Management
Institutional Development | Capacity Building
Professional Base
Contact
Career Progression
A concise view of the professional development that connects Dr. Mitiku's early irrigation-engineering foundation with his later institutional and advisory responsibilities.