Improving rural water supply financing in Ethiopia

Gezahegn Lemecha is a water and sanitation and Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) systems specialist with more than 30 years of experience supporting governments and development partners to improve how public services are planned, governed, financed, and delivered. He believes that lasting development is achieved not through isolated projects, but by building capable institutions, fostering meaningful partnerships, and creating systems that continue to serve people long after projects have ended.

His career spans government, public enterprises, international NGOs, multilateral organisations, and the private sector, where he has worked as a client, contractor, consultant, and programme leader. This wide experience gives him a nuanced understanding of the priorities and constraints that shape decision-making across institutions. He is skilled at bridging the gap between policy and implementation, working closely with different stakeholders to build partnerships, facilitate dialogue, and support evidence-informed action.

Gezahegn's expertise includes water, sanitation and hygiene systems (WASH) strengthening, programme leadership, IWRM, institutional development, water governance, groundwater resources development, programme evaluation, action research, and knowledge management. In his current role as Programme Manager at Riva, he provides strategic direction for programmes that strengthen rural and urban water and sanitation systems through institutional capacity development, programme evaluation, partnership management, and sector learning. His work has contributed to policy dialogue, organisational improvement, and the generation of practical evidence that informs sector reforms and supports the scaling of effective approaches.

Earlier in his career, Gezahegn led large-scale groundwater exploration and water supply engineering programmes, managed regional water supply and water resources management operations, and guided multidisciplinary teams responsible for infrastructure development, utility governance, and public sector reform. This combination of technical and leadership experience allows him to connect engineering solutions with institutional and policy change.

Gezahegn is passionate about helping organisations learn, adapt, and improve. He values collaborative leadership, continuous learning, and locally led development, believing that the most effective solutions emerge when governments, communities, development partners, and the private sector work together towards shared goals. His work is guided by a commitment to strengthening public systems that improve people's lives and build resilience for future generations.

He holds a Bachelor of Science in Geology and a Master of Science in Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems (GIS), both from Addis Ababa University. He is fluent in English, Amharic, and Afan Oromo.

Career highlights

• Supported the development and implementation of district-wide WASH master plans, resource mobilization strategies, expenditure tracking, asset management systems, and urban utility strengthening initiatives to improve service sustainability and institutional performance.
• Contributed to the development of Ethiopia's Guidelines for Strengthening Woreda-Wide WASH Systems, led the preparation of the policy brief Improving Rural Water Supply Financing in Ethiopia, and contributed to the policy brief on Climate Resilient WASH: Working Across SDG 6, supporting evidence-informed policy and sector reform.
• Was Deputy Bureau Head of the Oromia Water, Mineral and Energy Bureau, chaired the Regional One WASH Technical Coordination Platform, the Regional WASH Cluster, and was a director of the Boards of Directors of the Adama and Bishoftu Water Supply and Sewerage Utilities.