Dr. Kindu Mekonnen is a Crop-Livestock Systems Scientist working at ILRI. He has more than 20 years research experience in the National and International Research systems. Kindu has PhD degree in Natural Resources Management (NRM), MPill in forestry/agroforestry and BSc in plant sciences. Kindu’s research experiences has been focused on integration of niche compatible high value trees and shrubs into different farming systems, landscapes and watersheds; nutrient cycling by trees and shrubs; organic resources characterization and utilization to manage soil fertility; screening of high value tree and shrub species for various products and services; soil and water conservation; water harvesting techniques; land-care and climate change adaptation interventions. In the last five years, he has been working at ILRI and involved in System wide Livestock Program (SLP), Dairy intensification, Nile Basin Development Challenge (NBDC), ILRI-UNEP-Wollo University watershed based climate change adaption, and Africa RISING projects. He has also consulted various individuals and organizations on R&D projects, supervised and examined MSC and PhD students of the different African and European Universities, coordinated national and regional research projects. Currently, he is spending most of his time on research and coordination in Africa RISING project of the Ethiopian highlands.
