Environmental Engineer
Resume:
GERGINO CHOUNNA YEMELE
Environmental & Hydraulic Engineer PhD Coastal Risk & Water Resources Analyst Padova, Italy Email: ***************@*****.*** +39-351-***-**** LinkedIn Google Scholar ResearchGate ORCID Personal site PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY
PhD-qualified Environmental Engineer and Analyst with 5+ years of experience in water resources management, hydraulic modelling, coastal flood risk assessment, and climate adaptation. Proven track record in quantifying environmental and hydraulic risks affecting over 18 million people across rapidly urbanising coastal regions in Africa, using tools such as HEC- RAS, HEC-HMS, EPANET, GIS, and machine learning. Experienced in delivering modelling, risk assessment, and engineering analyses to support infrastructure design and water management solutions. Able to translate complex hydrological and geospatial data into actionable insights for engineering projects and decision-making. Fluent in English and French; Lower Intermediate in Italian. CORE COMPETENCIES
Hydraulic & Hydrological Modelling: HEC-HMS, HEC-RAS, EPANET, flood routing, watershed analysis, surface– groundwater interaction, land subsidence analysis. Climate & Infrastructure Strategy: Coastal and urban risk strategy; Climate risk assessment & adaptation planning; Infrastructure vulnerability & resilience analysis. Water Resources Engineering: IWRM, water quality assessment, groundwater management, sea-level impact analysis, coastal flood risk.
Geospatial & Remote Sensing: QGIS, ArcGIS Pro, InSAR, Earth Observation, land-use change, exposure mapping. Data Science & Predictive Analytics: Python, Machine Learning (Random Forest, XGBoost, PINN), SSA time-series, multivariate statistical modelling.
Environmental Assessment: EIA, aquatic ecosystem monitoring, contamination pathways, hydrogeochemical analysis. Project & Stakeholder Management: Scientific writing, policy communication, international consortium coordination. PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Environmental Research Fellow University of Padova, Italy 02/2026 – Present
• Lead comprehensive coastal risk assessment for the Eastern Gulf of Guinea (Africa), applying InSAR and statistical analysis to project land subsidence to 2050 under multiple IPCC climate scenarios for future infrastructure planning.
• Produced exposure maps for 2050 to guide coastal protection investment, directly supporting municipal and regional adaptation planning.
• Integrated machine learning (Random Forest, XGBoost) with geospatial modelling to improve long-term risk forecasting accuracy.
PhD Researcher & Environmental Engineer University of Padova, Italy 12/2022 – 12/2025
• Quantified land subsidence dynamics and coastal flood exposure for 18,000,000+ residents across 7 major cities of the Eastern Gulf of Guinea, using integrated InSAR, GIS, and multivariate statistical analysis.
• Developed predictive models (Random Forest, PINN, XGBoost) achieving improved long-term subsidence forecasting accuracy, supporting climate-resilient infrastructure planning.
• Analysed 45 years of GHSL land-use data to quantify built-up load growth and its contribution to coastal sinking, informing urban development guidelines.
• Led the full research cycle (design, data collection, analysis, writing) resulting in 7+ peer-reviewed publications contributions in high-impact journals including Nature and Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences.
• Designed adaptation and resilience strategies addressing combined land subsidence and sea-level rise, informing regional coastal management discussions for 2,000,000+ people in high-risk zones. Visiting Research Engineer Wageningen University & Research, Netherlands 04/2025 – 07/2025
• Assessed current and future exposure of populations and critical infrastructure across fast-growing African coastal cities using geospatial and statistical analysis.
• Combined Earth observation datasets with multivariate analysis to enhance environmental risk model accuracy, contributing to a joint EU-Africa research consortium publication.
• Delivered improved evidence base for sustainable coastal management strategies in climate-sensitive Gulf of Guinea regions.
Environmental Engineer Green Connexion, Yaoundé, Cameroon 2021 – 2022
• Conducted aquatic ecosystem health and waste management assessments using field data and laboratory analyses for the Mpem & Djim reserve park and Nachtigal hydroelectric dam project.
• Contributed to environmental monitoring in infrastructure and conservation projects. Water Resources Specialist National Advanced School of Public Works, Cameroon 2019 – 2021
• Investigated soil and water quality across agricultural regions, delivering improved water and land management practices benefiting 10,000+ farmers.
• Led water quality assessments in semi-arid and tropical watersheds, identifying key contamination and nutrient pathways.
• Designed a semi-artificial lake for nutrient-rich water storage to support dry-season irrigation, enhancing agricultural water security.
Chair of Communication UNESCO Groundwater Youth Network (GWYN) 2024 – Present
• Direct communications for a global network of 2,000+ members across 114 countries, improving knowledge exchange on groundwater sustainability.
• Represented youth perspectives at 10+ international forums (UN, UNESCO, World Bank), moderating panels and delivering policy-relevant outcomes.
• Coordinated a 10-member international team producing reports, newsletters, and policy briefs presented at the UN Groundwater Summit.
SELECTED APPLIED RESEARCH & TECHNICAL EXPERIENCE
Coastal Risk & Land Subsidence
• Led the research, writing & publication process on comprehensive land subsidence and land-use change assessment in coastal regions, supporting climate resilience and coastal planning (NHESS, 2026).
• Contributing author to global assessment of sinking deltas, evaluating large-scale environmental, infrastructure, and water security risks under climate change (Nature, 2026). Circular Economy & Waste Management
• Co-led the writing, reviewing and publications process on landfill remediation and material recovery strategies, applying circular economy principles to sustainable waste management (J. Mat Cycles and Waste Manag, 2024). Water-Agriculture-Environment Nexus
• Co-led the research & publication process on regional water availability assessments for agricultural planning, supporting sustainable water resources management in climate-sensitive regions (Environ Monit Assess, 2022).
• Co-led the research, writing & publication process on hydrogeochemical assessment of soil and groundwater constraints on agricultural productivity, informing integrated water–soil management strategies (J.afrearsci, 2023). Groundwater Quality & Public Health
• Co-led the research, analysis, writing & publication process on groundwater hydrogeochemistry and isotope-based assessments, supporting water quality characterization and resource sustainability (J.hydres, 2023).
• Co-led the research, analysis, writing & publication process on groundwater contamination and human health risk assessment, contributing to environmental compliance and risk mitigation strategies(Arab J. Geosci, 2023). EDUCATION
PhD – Civil & Environmental Engineering Sciences DICEA, University of Padova, Italy 2022 – 2025 International Master – Environmental Engineering DICEA, University of Padova, Italy2018 – 2021 Master of Engineering – Environmental Engineering ENSTP-Yaoundé, Cameroon 2015 – 2021 CERTIFICATES (Selected)
• Data Analysis with Python
• AI and Sustainability
• International Project Management
• Organizational Culture
• Managing Change on an Agile Project
• Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH)
• GIS & Spatial Analysis for Climate
• Strategic Management & Leadership
CERTIFICATES (Selected)
• E-Fellows.net Scholar (2025)
• Future Africa Fellow (2023)
• World Bank Summit Delegate (2025)
• My Science Journey Ambassador 2025
• Fully Funded PhD Scholarship, UNIPD
• Savvy Fellow 2022 & NOVA Global Talent
• World Youth Forum Fellow 2022
• Arqus Alliance Ambassador 2024/2025.
REFERENCES
Available upon request.
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