2025 Keynote Speakers

• Prof. Dr.Aysegül Kibaroglu is the Chair of the Department of Political Science and International Relations at MEF University in Istanbul. She was a Visiting Professor at the University of Texas at Austin, LBJ School of Public Affairs in 2016. Previously, she was a Faculty Member and the Vice Chair of the Department of International Relations at Middle East Technical University in Ankara (2003-2011). Prof. Kibaroglu regularly delivers conferences and seminars to diplomats, legal advisers, and government officials – both in Türkiye and abroad. She convenes extensive consultations with representatives of water bureaucracies by attending various expert committee meetings. Prof. Kibaroglu worked as the Advisor to the President of the South-eastern Anatolia Project (GAP) Regional Development Administration (RDA) from 2001 to 2003. Her past advisory position at the GAP RDA gave her the opportunity to interact with water technocrats at both national and international levels. She has acted as the co-founder of an informal water diplomacy initiative, namely the Euphrates-Tigris Initiative for Cooperation (ETIC), together with her colleagues from Syria, Iraq, and Türkiye.

Dr. Dale Whttington, Professor of Environmental Sciences & Engineering, City & Regional Planning, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Professor Whttington is a Professor of Environmental Science & Engineering and City & Regional Planning at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (USA) and the Manchester Business School (UK). Visiting Professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore. Since 1986 he has worked for the World Bank and other international agencies on the development and application of techniques for estimating the economic value of environmental resources in developing countries, with a particular focus on water and sanitation and vaccine policy issues.

Dr. Wossenu Abtew, Ph.D., P.E., BC.WRE
Principal Civil Engineer
Water and Environment Consulting LLC

Dr. Wossenu Abtew is a professional civil engineer and water resources engineer certified by the American Academy of Water Resources Engineers. ´He worked as Principal Engineer at the South Florida Water Management District for close to 30 years before retiring ´Currently, he is a consultant in water resources and environment area. ´His experience includes work in hydrology, water management, environmental restoration, reservoir sizing and operation, the Nile River basin, and the GERD. ´He has published recently a book on Nile water conflict and the GERD, and previous books on GERD, the Nile basin, evapotranspiration, extreme hydrology, and landscape dynamics. ´He has also published his works in many journal papers, book chapters, conference proceedings, and reports on diverse subjects.

Professor Andrea K. Gerlak , Director at the Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy and Professor in the School of Geography, Development and Environment at the University of Arizona

Her research agenda focuses on cooperation and conflict in water governance, including questions of equity and access, institutional change, learning and adaptation. She is an author or co-author of more than 100 publications. Her most recent books include Learning for Environmental Governance Insights for a More Adaptive Future, published by Cambridge University Press in 2024 with Tanya Heikkila and The Conversation on Water, published by Johns Hopkins University Press in 2023. Presently, she serves on the City of Tucson’s Water Advisory Committee. She is a senior fellow with the Earth Systems Governance network. Dr. Gerlak has more two decades of experience leading interdisciplinary environmental studies programs and university-community environmental partnerships. She has consulted on water governance and climate resilience efforts for UNESCO and the WMO. 

Panel members and Invited presenters

Eng. Gedion Asfaw, Chief GERD Negotiator

Over 45 years of working experience including: Over 25 years working experience at a) Swedish supported rural development organization as Water Sector and Infrastructure Department Head at Chilalo Agricultural Development Unit (CADU) in Arsi region, b) Natural Resources & Settlement Department Head at Ministry of Planning, c) Vice Minister of Ministry of Natural Resources & Environment, d) IUCN technical advisor at Environment Protection Authority,  Over 10 years working experience, a) Managing Director of Green Vision plc, a water and environment consulting firm, b) Project Manager of the regional environment project of Nile Basin Initiative stationed in Khartoum, Sudan for 6 years with offices in all of the 10 Nile Basin countries.

Since 2011 to date, involved in GERD negotiations as a) International Panel of Experts (IPOE) lead member, b) Chairperson of the Tripartite National Committee of Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan (TNC)  , c) Chairperson of the National Panel of Experts (NPOE) , and d) Chairperson of Technical Team of the Ethiopian Negotiating Committee. Board of Directors Chairperson, LEM Environment and Development Non-Government Organization; Member of Civil Engineering Organization; Founding member of Sustainable Natural Resource Management Association

Dr. Musa Abseno, Independent consultant on international water law, national water law and policy

Education-LLB Addis Ababa University; LLM (Dean’s Medal),University of Dundee,
PhD (University of Dundee)
Dr Musa Abseno was a Water Law-Water Leaders Scholar at the UNESCO Centre for Water Law, Policy and Science, Graduate School of Law, Policy and Management at the University of Dundee; Scotland.
He is the former Director of Boundary and Transboundary Directorate of the Ministry of Water Resources of Ethiopia; former TAC Member for Ethiopia, CFA negotiator for Ethiopia; Member of the Negotiation Committee for the Declaration of Principles (DoP) and is now a member of the Ethiopian Negotiation Team on the GERD.
He delivers visiting lectures and supervises post-graduates and PhD Students in Ethiopia and abroad and is an Affiliate Member of International Water Law Academy (IWL). Dr. Musa is an independent consultant, advisor, researcher and trainer; and works with governmental, regional and international organizations and NGOs, in the field of international and national water laws and institutions and policies, transboundary water conflict negotiations and dispute resolutions, hydro-diplomacy, national and regional dam safety regulations, water-climate nexus, etc. Dr. Musa has contributed various peer reviewed journal articles and book chapters on international water law and the Nile.

Engineer Teferra Beyene, Member of GERD negotiations Team, Ethiopia

Ambassador Zerihun Abebe Yigzaw, Deputy Director General for African Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Ambassador Zerihun is currently the Deputy Director General for African Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Until very recently he was the Director for Neighboring Countries Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He is also member of the Ethiopian negotiating team on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) for more than a decade. He has served in Ethiopian Embassies in Kenya, United Kingdom, Sudan and Senegal.   

Fekahmed Negash Nuru

Freelance Consultant: Water Resources Management, Transboundary Waters and hydro diplomacy

Fekahmed Negash Nuru recently worked as an Executive Director of the Eastern Nile Technical Regional Office (ENTRO), covering Egypt, Ethiopia, South Sudan and Sudan, within the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI), that is tasked with the identification, preparation and planning of cooperative investment projects in the water sector that have a transboundary implication in the areas of irrigation, hydropower, power trade and interconnection and watershed management.

Prior to this, he was a director of boundary and transboundary rivers affairs in the Ministry of Water, Irrigation and Energy of Ethiopia, where in addition to representing his country on many issues related to transboundary water resources management, he was in charge of making sure that all projects and programs planned on a transboundary water resources complied with a transboundary social, environmental, economic and technical requirements and of significant benefit to the riparian states with insignificant impact on any of the countries. He also served as Director of the Basin Administration Directorate that was governing all Basins of Ethiopia, Coordinated the establishment of Basin Authorities including Abbay Basin and lead the implementation of Tana Beles Integrated Water Resources Management Project. He has MSc. in land and water management obtained at Cranfield University, UK. 

Adrian Schmid-Breton

Technical Advisor for water quantity and climate change issues

International Commission for the Protection of the Rhine

Adrian Schmid-Breton studied geography in Lille and Berlin and natural disaster and risk management in Montpellier (France), where he specialised in cross-border flood risk management. Since January 2010, he has been working as a technical advisor for water quantity (floods, low flows) and climate change issues in the secretariat of the International Commission for the Protection of the Rhine (ICPR) in Koblenz. In this role, he is responsible for coordinating the implementation of the Rhine 2040 programme and the international flood risk management plan (EU Floods Directive) for the Rhine basin. As the ICPR secretariat is not large, he is fully aware of the corresponding activities in the fields of ecosystem and water quality protection. Adrian Schmid-Breton particularly enjoys exchanging experiences with other basins, river commissions and stakeholders.

Prof. Tag Elkhazin

• Prof. Tag has trained and worked in Sudan, Sweden, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia, Kenya, Eritrea, Nigeria, Chad, Canada and the United Kingdom in Water Resources, Human Resources, Implementation of Infra Structural and Energy Projects. He trained in Strategic Studies, Peace Building and Alternative Dispute Resolution in the United Kingdom and Canada. Tag is a member of the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Institute of Canada and the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) London UK. He was Adjunct Professor at Carleton University Ottawa, assigned to the Institute of African Studies. November 2015- June 2020. He is a Senior Fellow with the Norman Pearson School of International Affairs (NPSIA). He is a Board of Directors Member of the Archaeological Institute of American Ottawa Society. Tag has been a regular coach training and teaching Interest-Based Conflict Resolution with the ADR Chambers and Stitt Feld Handy law Group of Toronto. He trained peacemakers in Sudan, Ethiopia, South Sudan and Eritrea. He helped build the capacity of the Centre for Peace and Development Studies (CPDS) in Sudan when the original Centre moved from Khartoum to Juba through generous funding from the Government of Canada.

Dr. Wubalem Fekade, Head, Social Development and Communication at Eastern Nile Technical Regional Office, Nile Basin Initiative

Dr Wublem is an accomplished expert working on ensuring Social and environmental sustainability and safeguards of planned cooperative trans-boundary water resources investments; Program communication to create awareness and educate about the value addition of the investment projects to member countries and to build community support and participation; Advocacy communication to support inter-riparian dialogue, confidence and institution building; to reduce conflict and tensions; environmental advocacy to preserve remaining biodiversity hot spots of global significance.

Prof. Mark James Mwandosya

Professor Mark James Mwandosya is currently Chairman of the Energy and Water Utilities Regulatory Authority (EWURA) in Tanzania. He is the former and founding Chancellor of the Mbeya University of Science and Technology (MUST), United Republic of Tanzania. He has also been Chairman of the Governing Board of the Mwalimu Nyerere Memorial Academy (MNMA).

Professor Mark James Mwandosya is currently Chairman of the Energy and Water Utilities Regulatory Authority (EWURA) in Tanzania. He is the former and founding Chancellor of the Mbeya University of Science and Technology (MUST), United Republic of Tanzania. He has also been Chairman of the Governing Board of the Mwalimu Nyerere Memorial Academy (MNMA).

He was a Member of Parliament for Rungwe East constituency, having been elected unopposed three times consecutively from 2000 to 2015. He has also been Minister of Communication and Transport (2000-2005), Minister of State (Environment) Vice President’s Office  (2005-2008), Minister of Water and Irrigation (2008-2010),  Minister of Water (2010-2012) and Minister of State (Special Duties), Office of the President. He was Professor of Electrical Engineering holding a Professorial Research Chair in Energy Technology and Management at the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Dr. Yohannes Gebretsadik, Dam operation and Nile Expert

Dr. Mahemud Tekuya, Ph.D./JSD

Mahemud E. Tekuya holds a JSD/Ph.D. from McGeorge School of Law where he received the 2022 Award of Excellence for JSD Achievement (highest GPA and scholarship achievement). He is the author of The Nile in Legal and Political Perspective: Between Change and Continuity. 1st ed. Boston: BRILL, 2023.

Sandra Megens

She has served as advisor on water issues at the Ministry of Transport Public Works and Water Management, Rijkwaterstaat in the Netherlands (RWS), ´Ecuadorian government consultant on water issues and governance, ´External Ministers advisor of Secretary of Risk Management of the Republic of Ecuador, and ´currently research associate of the Pacific International Center for Disaster Risk Reduction(CIPDRR), at ESPOL-Ecuador and research associate  at the Institute of Socio-Economic Research at the Catholic University of Bolivia, IISEC-UCB. ´ she is member of the Environmental Peace Building association (EnPax).