Postdoctoral Associate
Rahel D. Bekele is a Postdoctoral Associate at the Stanford School of Public Policy at Duke University. By training, she is an economist, specialized on agriculture, environment and natural resource. Her prior and ongoing research includes on agricultural water management, irrigation, energy, climate change, gender in agriculture, poverty and environment in sub-Saharan Africa. Methodologically, she has a focus on agricultural household models and non-market valuation techniques. At Duke, Rahel’s current research focuses on understanding the impact of solar mini-grid powers irrigation projects on resilience and sustainability for farm enterprises and households.
She completed her PhD from Center for Development Research (ZEF), Rheinischen Friedrich-Wilhelms-University of Bonn. She also received her MSc and BA degrees in Economics from Addis Ababa University.
Recent publications
Bekele, R.D (2021). The Economics of Irrigation Systems in Ethiopia Technological and Institutional Analysis, PhD Dissertation, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11811/9471
Theis, Sophie; Bekele, Rahel Deribe; Lefore, Nicole; Meinzen-Dick, Ruth Suseela; Ringler, Claudia; and Larkin, Emily. (2021). Intégrer la dimension genre dans le développement de l ’irrigation à petite échelle: Recommandations en vue d’un développement inclusif. IFPRI-REACH Project Note September 2021. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). https://doi.org/10.2499/p15738coll2.134571
Bekele, R.D., Mirzabaev, A. and Mekonnen, D. (2021), Adoption of Multiple Sustainable Land Management Practices among Irrigator Rural Farm Households of Ethiopia. Land Degrad Dev. https://doi.org/10.1002/ldr.4091
Bekele R. D, and Mekonnen D. (2021) “Local Empowerment and Irrigation Devolution in Ethiopia”, International Journal of Water Resources Development
https:/doi.org/ 10.1080/07900627.2021.1936465
Gebreegziabher, Z., Mekonnen A., Bekele R.D., Zewdie S.A., Kassahun M.M. (2020) “Crop-Livestock Inter-linkages and Climate Change Implications for Ethiopia’s Agriculture: A Ricardian Approach.” In: Leal Filho W., Nagy G., Borga M., Chávez Muñoz P., Magnuszewski A. (eds) Climate Change, Hazards and Adaptation Options. Climate Change Management. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-37425-9_31
Beyene A. B., Mekonnen A., Bluffstone R. and & Bekele R.D (2019) “Household Level Determinants of Agroforestry Practices Adoption in Rural Ethiopia”, Forests, Trees and Livelihoods, 28:3, 194-213, DOI: 10.1080/14728028.2019.1620137
Theis, S., Bekele, R. D., Lefore, N., Meinzen-Dick, R., and Ringler, C. (2018). “Considering gender when promoting small-scale irrigation technologies: Guidance for inclusive irrigation interventions”. IFPRI-REACH Project Note. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
Gebreegziabher, Z., Mekonnen, A., Bekele R.D; Bane, J., Zewdie, S. A. (2018) “Mapping Vulnerability to Climate Change of the Farming Sector in the Nile Basin of Ethiopia: A Micro-level Perspective.”, in Cyndi Spindell Berck, Peter Berck and Salvatore Di Falco, ed., Agricultural Adaptation to Climate Change in Africa: Food Security in Changing Environment , pp. 28-54(27), ROUTLEDGE in association with GSE Research
Mekonnen, A., Beyene A. B and Bekele R.D, (2015). “The Impact of Natural Resources Scarcity on Agriculture in Ethiopia.” EfD Discussion Paper Series EfD DP 15-13 Gothenburg, Sweden, Environment for Development and Washington, DC, Resource for the Future.