[WLRC, Addis Ababa, October 2025] — The Water and Land Resource Centre (WLRC) held an introductory discussion with the Welle Digital Group Co. Ltd, a Chinese Company, on innovative water solutions for urban and catchment management. The meeting held on October 30, 2025, at the WLRC Meeting Hall aimed to explore potential areas of collaboration in applying advanced technologies and digital solutions for sustainable water resource management in Ethiopia.
Professor Min Liu, Director of the Department of Technology Transfer and Strategic Advisor at Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, China, shared insights and experiences on modern approaches to monitoring, modelling, and modulation systems used in meteorology and hydrology. He emphasized how business-centred digital innovations can be effectively integrated into water and land management to improve forecasting, efficiency, and decision-making processes. He presented a range of equipment and facilities with explanations of their purpose.
The Director General of WLRC Dr. Gete Zeleke and the WLRC technical team warmly acknowledged Professor Min Liu for his presentation and for showcasing the institutional experience and technological advancements of Welle Group. He highlighted the importance of exploring potential areas of collaboration between WLRC and Welle Group, as well as with other Chinese institutions, to foster mutual learning and technology exchange. Dr. Gete further underscored the value of linking research with the private sector to generate more innovative and practical outcomes. He noted that integrating scientific research with business-oriented digital solutions could play a transformative role in addressing Ethiopia’s water management challenges.
The discussion identified several promising areas for future collaboration, including water quality monitoring, forecasting and early warning systems, remote sensing and GIS applications, and other data-driven approaches to integrated water resource management.
The meeting concluded by expressing strong interest, to be forged with a tripartite MoU among WLRC, Welle Digital Group Co. Ltd, and Ethiopian Engineering Corporation (EEC), in building a strategic partnership that promotes technological exchange, capacity development, and joint research initiatives in water and land resource management.
Welle Digital Group Co. Ltd, based in China, is a joint venture between two leading manufacturing companies that are co-developing advanced technologies and digital innovations aimed at supporting sustainable urban and environmental solutions.