Estifanos was born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. He graduated with a bachelor degree in Civil engineering from Addis Ababa University, master’s degree in Water resources engineering (KU LEUVEN and VUB) and advanced master’s in Integrating nature-based solutions and technology (Think Water - University of Antwerp). Currently, he is a Ph.D. researcher at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel with strong interest in climate change studies, groundwater-surface water modelling and drought analysis.