Executive Profile
Eng. Rahel Desalegn Benti is a senior irrigation engineer, hydraulic engineer, and certified Project Management Professional with more than fourteen years of experience delivering complex water resources and agricultural infrastructure assignments. Her career spans irrigation development, drainage engineering, dam-associated command areas, hydraulic structures, pressurized and surface irrigation systems, rural and institutional water supply, construction management, and multidisciplinary project leadership.
Her professional portfolio includes major assignments in Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Rwanda, ranging from small-scale irrigation schemes to regional developments of 20,000 hectares. She has worked as Project Manager, Senior Irrigation Engineer, Irrigation and Drainage Engineer, Senior Water Supply Engineer, Construction Management Engineer, Site Engineer, Design Quality-Control Engineer, and Junior Design Engineer. This breadth gives her a rare understanding of the complete project cycle: concept development, data collection, feasibility study, detailed design, tender preparation, implementation planning, construction supervision, progress monitoring, quality assurance, and stakeholder coordination.
She holds an M.Sc. in Water Science Engineering, specializing in Hydraulic Engineering—Land and Water Development—from UNESCO-IHE, now IHE Delft Institute for Water Education, in the Netherlands. Her graduate research developed the innovative Energy Water Accounting Plus framework, integrating water, energy, and agricultural-resource accounting to improve basin-scale planning and evidence-based decision-making.
Professional Impact at a Glance
Core Areas of Expertise
Engineering and Technical Expertise
- Feasibility studies and detailed engineering design for irrigation and drainage projects
- Surface, gravity-fed, pressurized, pumped, marshland, and hillside irrigation systems
- Hydraulic design of irrigation canals, drainage canals, farm roads, and water-control structures
- Dam-associated irrigation development, diversion weirs, intakes, spillways, outlets, and appurtenant structures
- Water supply, distribution, sanitary, and institutional infrastructure design
- Design review, quality control, quantity surveying, construction drawings, and payment certification
- BOQs, technical specifications, tender documents, contract documents, and bid evaluation
- GIS, remote sensing, AutoCAD, Civil 3D, and Global Mapper applications
Leadership and Project Delivery
- Project management of multidisciplinary irrigation, dam, and water-supply assignments
- Preparation of work plans, financial plans, risk-management plans, and implementation schedules
- Team coordination, progress monitoring, technical review, and quality assurance
- Preparation of inception, progress, feasibility, design, and completion reports
- Coordination with government agencies, clients, consultants, contractors, and stakeholders
- Construction supervision, design compliance, contract administration, and progress certification
- Institutional capacity strengthening and evidence-based water-management decision support
- Regional experience in Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Rwanda
Core Technical and Leadership Strengths
Professional Profile
Education and Professional Development
IHE Delft Institute for Water Education, Delft, the Netherlands
M.Sc. in Water Science Engineering, specialization in Hydraulic Engineering—Land and Water Development. The institution was formerly known as UNESCO-IHE.
Hawassa University, Ethiopia
B.Sc. in Irrigation and Water Resources Engineering.
Project Management Institute
Project Management Professional (PMP®) certification, demonstrating internationally recognized competence in project leadership, planning, risk management, implementation control, and delivery.
Professional Memberships
Employment Record
SABA Engineering PLC — Irrigation Engineer
Responsible for data collection, irrigation-system planning, hydraulic design, and technical delivery of irrigation assignments in Tanzania and Rwanda, including major command-area and dam-associated irrigation projects.
Ethiopian Engineering Corporation — Project Manager and Irrigation Engineer
Managed, planned, designed, reviewed, and monitored major irrigation, dam, water-supply, and agricultural infrastructure projects in Ethiopia. Led multidisciplinary teams, prepared work plans, financial plans and risk-management plans, and oversaw technical and contractual deliverables.
Sugar Corporation — Senior Water Supply Engineer
Designed and supervised water-supply and sanitary systems, prepared bid documents and specifications, supported tender evaluation, and monitored delivery of major village water-supply projects linked to sugar development schemes.
Sugar Corporation — Construction Management Engineer
Managed irrigation infrastructure assignments, reviewed engineering designs, prepared contract and tender documentation, and supported construction-management activities for major sugar-development projects.
Water Works Construction Enterprise — Site and Office Engineer
Worked on the Kesem Dam and Irrigation Project, providing site supervision, design review, quantity surveying, work scheduling, payment certification, engineering reporting, and design quality control.
Oromia Water Works Design and Supervision Enterprise — Junior Design Engineer
Designed small-scale pumped irrigation schemes, including pipe layouts and associated structures such as culverts, turnouts, and offtakes.
Selected Career Highlights
World Bank-Funded Rwanda Assignment
Serving as Senior Irrigation Engineer on the Base–Kiryango–Nyirakiyange dam and irrigation project in Rwanda, involving dam rehabilitation, new dam design, rehabilitation of existing marshland farms, and development of new irrigation infrastructure.
Major Regional Irrigation Design
Contributed to the feasibility study and detailed engineering design of the 10,500 ha Kilombero Basin Irrigation Scheme in Tanzania, including diversion weirs, irrigation and drainage canals, hydraulic structures, and farm-road networks.
20,000 ha South Gode Development
Worked as Senior Irrigation Engineer on one of the largest assignments in her portfolio: the 20,000 ha South Gode Irrigation Development Project in Ethiopia.
Project Leadership and Institutional Delivery
Led multidisciplinary teams as Project Manager and Senior Irrigation Engineer, integrating technical planning, work programming, financial management, risk management, progress control, and formal reporting.
Advanced International Education
Completed a specialized M.Sc. at UNESCO-IHE/IHE Delft, with graduate research integrating water, energy, and agricultural accounting for improved basin-scale planning.
Full Project-Cycle Experience
Possesses practical experience from initial concept and feasibility through detailed design, procurement documentation, construction supervision, contract administration, and final reporting.
Representative Project Experience
| Project | Year / Location | Role | Client | Key Responsibilities and Relevance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Base–Kiryango–Nyirakiyange Dam and Irrigation Project | 2026, Rwanda | Senior Irrigation Engineer | Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB) | Primary and secondary data collection; irrigation-system layout; hydraulic design of irrigation and drainage canals and structures; farm-road design; rehabilitation of existing dam and farms; support to new dam and hillside command-area development. |
| Kilombero Basin Irrigation Scheme — 10,500 ha | 2025–2026, Tanzania | Irrigation and Drainage Engineer | Ministry of Agriculture / National Irrigation Commission | Feasibility study and detailed engineering design for diversion weirs, irrigation and drainage networks, farm roads, and associated hydraulic structures. |
| Uma Weir and Irrigation Project — 500 ha | 2024, Ethiopia | Project Manager and Senior Irrigation Engineer | SWEPRS Irrigation Schemes Development & Administration Agency | Team leadership, work planning, financial planning, risk-management planning, progress control, and oversight of feasibility and detailed design for a diversion weir and irrigation infrastructure. |
| South Gode Irrigation Development Project — 20,000 ha | 2024, Ethiopia | Senior Irrigation Engineer | Ministry of Irrigation and Lowland | Data collection, irrigation layout development, hydraulic design of irrigation and drainage canals and structures, and farm-road design for a major regional command area. |
| Meki Dam and Irrigation Project — 13,000 ha | 2023–2024, Ethiopia | Senior Irrigation Engineer | Regional Irrigation Schemes Development & Administration Agency | Hydraulic planning and detailed design of dam-associated irrigation infrastructure, including canal and drainage systems, structures, roads, and command-area components linked to a 53 m dam. |
| Seed Farm Irrigation Development Projects | 2022–2023, Ethiopia | Project Manager and Senior Irrigation Engineer | Ethiopian Agricultural Business Corporation | Managed design of groundwater-fed pressurized systems, surface irrigation, pumped intake systems, weir-based schemes, and dam-fed pressurized irrigation for multiple seed farms. |
| Dam, Irrigation, Water Supply and Hydrogeology Projects | 2018–2022, Ethiopia | Project Management Senior Engineer | Multiple Clients | Technical and financial proposals, contract documentation, study and design monitoring, project evaluation, and progress assessment across multiple infrastructure assignments. |
| Kuraz, Tana Beles and Kesem Village Water Supply Projects | 2016–2018, Ethiopia | Senior Water Supply Engineer | Sugar Corporation | Water-supply and sanitary design, construction supervision, BOQs, drawings, specifications, contract documents, tender evaluation, and periodic reporting. |
| Kuraz, Kesem and Tana Beles Sugar Development Projects | 2013–2014, Ethiopia | Construction Management Engineer | Sugar Corporation | Design evaluation, contract and tender documentation, construction-management support, and review of dam, irrigation, drainage, and hydraulic-structure works. |
| Kesem Dam and Irrigation Project | 2012–2013, Ethiopia | Site Engineer and Design Quality-Control Engineer | Ministry of Water | Design review, working drawings, schedules, quantity surveying, site supervision, payment certificates, and weekly and monthly engineering reports. |
| Small-Scale Irrigation Schemes around Addis Ababa | 2010–2011, Ethiopia | Junior Design Engineer | Oromia Regional State Water and Energy Development Bureau | Design of pumped irrigation schemes, pipe layouts, culverts, turnouts, offtakes, and associated small-scale irrigation structures. |
Representative Responsibilities
- Lead and contribute to feasibility studies and detailed engineering designs for irrigation, drainage, dam, and water-supply projects.
- Collect, review, and interpret primary and secondary technical data.
- Prepare irrigation layouts, canal networks, drainage systems, hydraulic structures, and farm-road designs.
- Undertake hydraulic calculations and prepare design reports, drawings, BOQs, specifications, and tender documents.
- Review dam-associated command areas, diversion weirs, pumping systems, intakes, and appurtenant structures.
- Integrate GIS, remote sensing, Civil 3D, AutoCAD, and Global Mapper into engineering analysis and design.
- Manage multidisciplinary teams, schedules, budgets, risks, and technical deliverables.
- Prepare work plans, financial plans, risk-management plans, inception reports, progress reports, and detailed technical reports.
- Supervise construction, assess progress, review quality, and verify compliance with designs and specifications.
- Prepare quantity take-offs, payment certificates, work schedules, and contract documentation.
- Coordinate with clients, public institutions, consultants, contractors, and beneficiary stakeholders.
- Support tender evaluation, contract administration, institutional strengthening, and sustainable water-management decision-making.
Research and Innovation
Energy Water Accounting Plus (Energy WA+) Framework
During her master’s studies, Rahel developed an innovative framework integrating water, energy, and agricultural-resource accounting. The approach supports basin-scale assessment, improved agricultural water productivity, sustainable irrigation planning, and evidence-based allocation of scarce resources. This research demonstrates her ability to move beyond conventional engineering design and engage with strategic water-resource planning, sustainability, and systems-level decision support.
Software and Analytical Tools
Language Skills
Professional Value for International Assignments
Eng. Rahel Desalegn Benti offers an exceptional combination of senior irrigation engineering, hydraulic design, project management, construction supervision, dam-associated command-area development, water-supply engineering, and regional consulting experience. Her profile is particularly well suited to World Bank, African Development Bank, IFAD, FAO, European Union, UN, bilateral-development, and international engineering consultancy assignments requiring:
- Senior irrigation and drainage expertise
- Feasibility studies and detailed engineering design
- Dam and weir-associated irrigation development
- Project management and multidisciplinary team leadership
- Construction supervision and contract administration
- Large command-area development
- Climate-resilient agricultural water management
- Water supply and rural infrastructure
- Technical review, quality assurance, and tender documentation
- East African regional project delivery