Dr. Mesfin Mekonnen
Assistant Professor
Contact
- 1065 Cyber Hall
- phone (205) 348-1588
- fax (205) 348-0783
Research Areas
Education
- Ph.D., Water Engineering and Water Management, University of Twente, The Netherlands, 2011
- M.S, Environmental Science and Technology, UNESCO-IHE Institute for Infrastructure, Water and Environment, The Netherlands, 2005
- B.A., Economics, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia, 2003
- M.S, Renewable Energy, University of Oldenburg, Germany, 1994
- B.S., Chemical Engineering, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia, 1989
Dr. Mesfin Mekonnen joined the Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering at The University of Alabama as an assistant professor in August 2020, where he leads the Water Security Research group. He is affiliated with the Center for Complex Hydrosystems Research, the Center for Water Quality, and the Center for Sustainable Infrastructure.
Before joining the University of Alabama, Mekonnen was a research assistant professor at the Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute, University of Nebraska, from 2016 to 2020, and a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Twente in the Netherlands from 2011 to 2016. He holds a Ph.D. in Water Engineering and Management from the University of Twente, the Netherlands. His research interest is understanding the relationship between human and natural systems to ensure the sustainability of freshwater resources.
His research group is focused on exploring the following scientific questions: What are the spatial and temporal patterns of the global water footprint, and what are the main drivers behind these trends? How do global water usage practices impact the water cycle, and what are their implications for human and ecosystem water security? How can we sustainably meet current and future global water demands while minimizing negative impacts on the environment?
Dr. Mekonnen has published over 70 highly cited peer-reviewed articles in premier journals, including Science, Nature, and PNAS. He has received the Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher Award during the 2021 and 2022 award cycles (this award is given each year to approximately 1% of the most-cited researchers within their respective fields, underscoring the excellence and impact of his technical contributions. He also serves on the editorial board of Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems journal.
Selected works:
The Water Footprint of Humanity
Four billion people facing severe water scarcity
Indicator metrics and temporal aggregations introduce ambiguities in water scarcity estimates
Affiliated Areas
Center for Water Quality Research, Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering
Selected Publications
- Mekonnen, M.M. and Hoekstra, A.Y. (2020) Sustainability of the blue water footprint of crops. Advances in Water Resources, 143:103679
- Richter BD, Bartak D, Caldwell P, Davis KF, Debaere P, Hoekstra AY, Li T, Marston L, McManamay R, Mekonnen MM, Ruddell BL, Rushforth RR, Troy TJ (2020) Water scarcity and fish imperilment driven by beef production. Nature Sustainability. doi:10.1038/s41893-020-0483-z
- Mekonnen, M.M., Hoekstra, A.Y., Neale, C.M.U., Ray, C., Yang, H.S. (2020) Water productivity benchmarks: The case of maize and soybean in Nebraska. Agricultural Water Manage 234:106122. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2020.106122
- Gonçalves, I.Z., Mekonnen, M.M., Neale, C.M.U., Campos, I., Neale, M.R. (2020) Temporal and spatial variations of irrigation water use for commercial corn fields in Central Nebraska. Agricultural Water Management 228, 105924.
- Schyns, J.F., Hoekstra, A.Y., Booij, M.J., Hogeboom, R.J. and Mekonnen, M.M. (2019) Limits to the world’s green water resources for food, feed, fibre, timber and bio-energy, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 116(1), 4893-4898.
Awards and Honors
- Joint Japan/World Bank graduate scholarship, UNESCO-IHE, The Netherlands, 2003-2005
- Carl Duisberg Gesellschaft e.V. advanced training scholarship, German Wind Energy Institute (DEWI), Germany, 2000
- German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) graduate scholarship, University of Oldenburg, Germany, 1993-1994
Dr. Mekonnen's Impact
Making the Most of Every Drop: Research Shows Dairy Industry Posts the Largest Gains in Water Productivity
“The WP of all livestock products – beef, pork, chicken, turkey, milk, and eggs – increased considerably from 1.8 times for beef to 5.1 times for milk,” said Mesfin Mekonnen,...
The Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering Department Has Added Dr. Mesfin Mekonnen
From working and studying in three continents, Dr. Mesfin Mekonnen has gained a worldly view of an important natural resource — water. Mekonnen joined The University of Alabama in 2020...