Risk and Vulnerability in Ethiopia: Learning from the Past, Responding to the Present, Preparing for the Future

This report focuses on the management of disaster risks and vulnerabilities for a range of reasons. Due to the recurrent nature of crisis, Ethiopian livelihood systems have evolved to manage diverse disaster hazards, e.g. the migration patterns of pastoralists are designed to optimally manage the impact of drought on pasture and water resources; farmers seek to mitigate covariate risks through diversifying their cropping patterns; families strategically use family members to combine production with wage labor, etc. A focus on these household risk and vulnerability management strategies leads to more effective disaster preparedness, relief, recovery and prevention, and development, policies and interventions.

 This report is the result of a three-month process of consultations with key stakeholders, government officials and local administrators, reviews of key documents and studies, and travel to crisis affected regions (Tigray, Afar, SNNPR, Somali, Amhara, and Oromiya).