Dr. IMERINA TANKEUOO KOPA

Dr. Imerina Tankeuoo Kopa is a water resources and irrigation specialist from Cameroon. She holds a PhD in Hydraulics (Irrigation and Drainage) from the Higher National School of Hydraulics (ENSH), Algeria, awarded with highest honors in October 2024. Her doctoral research focused on precision irrigation for citrus and vegetable crops, evaluating the combined effects of drip irrigation depth and organic mulching on soil water dynamics, yield, and water use efficiency under semi-arid Mediterranean conditions in the Mitidja plain. During her PhD, she used capacitive Sentek sensors, FieldScout TDR probes, a double-ring infiltrometer (SDEC), and IRRIMAX Premium software for irrigation scheduling and soil moisture monitoring. She also conducted soil sampling using an auger and performed laboratory analyses herself, including soil texture, bulk density, pH, organic matter, and water retention properties.
Prior to her PhD, she earned a Master's degree in Hydrology and Water Resources Management from the University of Dschang, Cameroon, where she characterized aquifers in the Balengou area using geophysical, hydrochemical, and geological methods, including thin-section petrography and soil profile studies. She also holds a Bachelor's degree in Earth Sciences (Hydrology) from the same university.
From 2021 to 2024, she was a doctoral researcher and AWaRMN Fellow at ENSH, Algeria, conducting field experiments, presenting at international conferences, supervising master's students, and managing research activities. She has published in Acta agriculturae Slovenica, Environmental and Earth Science Research Journal, and the Journal of Irrigation and Drainage (Wiley). She received the Best Oral Presentation Award for PhD students at the International Conference on Sustainable Soil Management in Biskra, Algeria (2022). Her technical skills include hydrological and irrigation modeling (HYDRUS 1D, IRRIMAX 2D, CROPWAT), GIS mapping (QGIS, Mapinfo, Surfer), geophysics and hydrochemistry (Ipi2Win, PHREEQC), and statistical analysis (R, Statistica).
Her research interests include agricultural water management, precision irrigation, soil-water relations, hydrogeology, and climate change adaptation. Fluent in French and English, she is committed to excellence and aspires to collaborate with leading researchers worldwide, with the long-term goal of transferring advanced technologies to enhance agricultural resilience in sub-Saharan Africa.