Dr. Getachew Belaineh Memorial Fund launched

Dr. Getachew was born on May 21, 1954 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. He attended both the Menelik II Elementary and Secondary Schools in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Dr. Getachew was a consummate family man. He was married for 23 years, and he was the father of two beautiful daughters, whom he dearly loved. He was a dear friend to many, fun and energetic, had a great sense of humor, and he treated all people with respect.

In 1978 he received his Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Engineering from Addis Ababa University Alemaya College of Agriculture, (now Haramaya University, Alamaya, Ethiopia) and was subsequently awarded a full scholarship by the United Nations Development Program to attend the Utah State University, where he was awarded his Master of Science in Irrigation Engineering in 1984 and his Doctor of Philosophy in Civil and Environmental Engineering (with an emphasis on groundwater hydrology) in 1995.

In the early years of his career, Engineer Getachew worked in both the public and private sector. As a field technician for the Ethiopian Ministry of Agriculture, he contributed to an irrigation development project for low-lying semi-arid areas. As the head of the Ethiopian government’s Large-Scale Irrigation Project in the Great Rift Valley region, he worked with international engineers and contributed tremendously to the development of modern irrigation schemes. In 1986, Dr. Getachew moved to the Ethiopian Office of the Council of Ministers and served as water resource technical advisor to the prime minister. In this role, he coordinated agriculture and water resource development, international aid, and helped to set policy, goals and budgets.

After his PhD, Engineer Getachew joined the St. Johns River Water Management District in Florida. In his most recent position as a Senior Engineer/Scientist, he brought a wealth of knowledge and experience to the District and greatly benefited the region. He managed several environmental protection and restoration projects, including the one in the lower St. Johns River basin near Jacksonville, Florida, and another in the State’s northern coastal basin. He oversaw the collection of water quality data, which was used to quantify the effect of tides, and helped to develop computer simulation models to assess the effects of environmental variables. Recently, Dr. Getachew had become the leader of a group of scientists who collaborated with scientists from Asia, Europe, Africa, and the United States to develop strategies to reduce pollution in the Indian River Lagoon, a large coastal water body in Florida.

Dr. Getachew also was a dedicated scholar and he was a lecturer at Arba Mench Water Technology Institute. Dr. Getachew presented his research at many national/international meetings and he organized Technical Symposium and Workshops related to Hydrodynamics, Hydrology and Water Supply Impact Study (WSIS). Engineer Getachew published numerous research and technical papers cited frequently by many other authors. Most importantly, his brilliant intellect and seminal works in groundwater simulation and modeling have changed the course of water reservoir decision rules and stream and aquifer system flows.

As his colleagues at the St. Johns River Water Management District have attested, “Getachew was a great engineer/scientist.” He was passionate and actively engaged in coastal environmental issues. He always ensured that we would “get the science right.”