EIWR facilitates and conducts research aimed at addressing water-related developmental problems in Ethiopia through community engagement and student thesis advising by prominent U.S. and Ethiopian professors; we collect and process data at the national and regional levels to support research projects via instrumentation of sites, field campaigns, and satellite datasets; we work with scientists at Addis Ababa University and others to develop innovative technologies to improved access to water for Ethiopians.  There exists a growing understanding on the need for an enhanced engagement for the private sector in order to facilitate the development and use of affordable technologies to address critical water access issues.

Research Laboratories and Data Collection: Blue Nile Rain Gauge Network

In 2012, EIWR installed 60 tipping-bucket ran gauges and five automatic weather stations across the Blue Nile basin from which staff and students collect data every six months.  These stations generate reliable information on rainfall characteristics over the complex terrain in the region.  The collected data are very important to teachers as a supporting material and are often used for research.  Three graduate students recently conducted research using the weather data on the following topics.

1. “Effect of Topography in Satellite Rainfall Estimation Errors: Observational Evidence across Contrasting Elevation in the Blue Nile Basin.” By: Gebrehiwot Niguse
2. “Effect of Topography on Rainy Season Rainfall Variability over the Blue Nile River Basin, Ethiopia.”  By: Shambel Habte
3. “Spatial and Temporal Rainfall Variability and its Effect on Stream Flow: The Case of Birr Watershed.” By: Nebyou Solomon

For more information http://www.eiwr.edu