Mr. Messele Fisseha
Messele has more than 35 years of experience and expertise in the areas of land management, environmental assessment, land evaluation, land classification, land use planning, soil and water conservation, land reclamation, and land tenure. He is currently an independent consultant engaged in consultancy services to governmental and non-government organizations in these areas, both within and outside Ethiopia. In his current position he helped high profile agricultural development investments and projects to establish land and water management/irrigation systems and restoration of degraded land. Examples include KCP Sugar Industries of India, Cameroon Sugar Company, International Land Coalition of IFAD, and Inter-Africa Group’s “Research and Advocacy on Water Resources and Livelihoods of People and Communities of Trans-boundary River Basins of Northeast Africa and Potential for Regional Economic Integration” carried out in Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya.
As head of River Basin Development Studies under the Ministry of Water Resources (MOWR), Messele coordinated and oversaw the completion of integrated development master plans for Abbay, Tekeze, Baro Akobo, and Omo Gibe river basins. As Manager for the Wabe-Shebelle River Basin project he directed and planned all activities of the multi-disciplinary team of experts. As Senior Land Management Expert at MOWR, Messele shouldered the responsibility for land evaluation, land use planning and soil mapping, assessment of drainage, land tenure, irrigation water quality, soil conservation and soil fertility maintenance on irrigated lands. As Team Leader for Land Management Research at the Ethiopian Sugar Corporation, he coordinated research on soil husbandry and fertilizer application rates at Wonji, Metehara and Finchaa Sugar Estates, where he oversaw and supervised leaf and soil laboratories.
Messele has published several reports in his area of expertise and was member of several national and international professional societies, including Land Management Society of Great Britain, International Society of Agronomy, Ethio-Sudan Technical Advisory Committee for Trans-boundary Natural Resources Management. He obtained both his MSc and BSc in Soil Sciences from Aberdeen University, Scotland.
