Review of Disaster Risk Reduction Practices in Ethiopia ... · Excerpts from ECB3 Ethiopia …...

Review of Disaster Risk Reduction Practices in Ethiopia: the Experience of theInteragency Working Group …………………………………………….. 2

Executive summary …………………………………………….. 3

Findings: Major Issues and Challenges …………………………………………….. 4

Lessons Learned …………………………………………….. 6

Recommendations …………………………………………….. 8

Disaster Risk Reduction Strategies in East and West Hararghe:

Mercy Corps, CARE, CRS …………………………………………….. 10

Executive summary …………………………………………….. 11

Lessons and Concluding Remarks …………………………………………….. 14

Summary …………………………………………….. 18

Flood Risk Mitigation in East Hararhge Zone, Dire Dawa Administrative Council and Shinile Zone …………………………………………….. 20

Executive Summary …………………………………………….. 21

Haramaya and Kersa – East Hararghe …………………………………………….. 22

Dire Dawa administrative Council …………………………………………….. 23

Aysha Woreda, Shinile Zone …………………………………………….. 26

Conclusion and overall Recommendations …………………………………………….. 27-28

Table of Contents

The ECB3 project and its associates would like to acknowledge the many individuals and

institutions whose contributions are incorporated throughout the pages of this document.

The materials appearing in this document, pulled from three reports commissioned by Save the

Children, Mercy Corps and CRS, are based on consultancy studies conducted by the Association

for Disaster Studies and Management (ADSaM), Tropical consults, and two free lance

consultants, respectively.

Valuable contributions were made by the staff of the Interagency Working Group (IWG) agencies

and their partners, individuals and institutions, who participated on the debriefing meetings with

the consultants.

The production of this excerpt was made possible through funding provided to the ECB Project

by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The opinions expressed herein are those of the authors

and do not necessarily reflect the views of the agencies.

Acknowledgements

1Excerpts from ECB3 Ethiopia … Pilot Studies in Disaster Risk Reduction practices and lessons

The Emergency Capacity Building (ECB) Project is an endeavor of the Interagency Working Group(IWG) on Emergency Capacity. The IWG is an ad-hoc consultative membership of seven non-governmental organizations engaged in global humanitarian relief and development: CARE, CRS,IRC, Mercy Corps, Oxfam-GB, Save the Children US (SC-US), and World Vision International(WV).

The Disaster Risk Reduction initiative of this project (ECB3), which strives to improve capacityfor disaster risk reduction among the IWG agencies and their local partners, has been operationalin Ethiopia since September 2005 and has been undertaking various activities under three majorcomponents one of which is to design or identify and test models and promising practices fordisaster risk reduction. To this end, ECB3 has been working on documentation of good/promisingpractices of the IWG agencies which is complemented by a similar study conducted by Oxfam GB.

In addition, in collaboration with Mercy Corps Ethiopia and CRS, the project carried out twostudies – DRR strategies employed in MC, CARE, and CRS’ operational areas in East and WestHararghe and, flood risk mitigation in East Haraghe, Dire Dawa and Shinile to look at the causesand patterns of flooding, and local coping strategies and mitigation practices.

The purpose of this excerpt is to review and highlight good or promising practices in disaster riskreduction from past or current development and humanitarian programs that employed DRRprinciples, though they were not carried out as standalone DRR projects. It is taken out from thefinal reports of the studies with due emphasis on relaying the most pertinent and conciseinformation on DRR practices contained there in. Lessons and summary of recommendationshave also been included for a complete picture. However, individuals interested on the wholedocument, need to contact the respective agencies at the addresses given on each section.

Introduction

Association for Disaster Studies and Management (ADSAM)

In Partnership with: Save the Children USA

This excerpt is taken from a report produced by the Emergency Capacity Building Project of Save

the Children USA, Ethiopia Country Office based on a study conducted among four of the seven IWG

agencies in Ethiopia. The whole document can be obtained from SC-US at the address below.

Save the Children USA / Ethiopia Country Office

Teklu Wodajo, 251-011-372 8455

PO Box 387, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, [email protected]

Review of Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR)Practices in Ethiopia

The Experiences of the Interagency Working Group


Executive Summary

Disaster risks and the means of reducing its effects have long been a real concern, not only to

Ethiopia, but to the world at large. Reports coming out from various agencies show that some 75%-

85% of the world’s population living in disaster prone areas has at least been affected once by

earthquake, tropical cyclone, flood or drought between the years 1980 and 2005. Ethiopia is one

among the community of such nations exposed to intermittent flooding and drought induced

disasters that exasperate vulnerability of the poorer section of the population.

According to UNDP 2004 global report, African States are referred to as having the highest

vulnerability to drought and various other shocks. Several field assessments strongly show

evidences that droughts translate themselves into famine mediated by primarily armed conflict,

internal displacement, HIV/AIDS, poor governance and economic crises. As natural disaster risks are

intimately connected to processes of human activities, the development choices made by

individuals, communities and nations do also generate new disaster risk.

This DRR study was instigated by the Emergency Capacity Building (ECB3) Project to solicit the

collective knowledge and experiences of members of the Interagency Working Group (IWG)

composed of Save the Children US, World Vision International, Catholic Relief Services, International

Rescue Committee and utilize the product as an input towards strengthening Disaster Risk

Reduction systems with the ultimate goal of bringing about sustainable and unhindered development

in Ethiopia.

The review intends to explore and document IWG agencies’ good or promising practices, challenges

and the lessons learned in the process of their program development and implementations. It also

involves review and analysis of policies on DRR, conceptual framework and adoption of

recommended models derived from past experiences. This DRR review is an extension of and

4 Excerpts from ECB3 Ethiopia … Pilot Studies in Disaster Risk Reduction practices and lessons

supplementary to the recent exercise undertaken by Oxfam GB on Community Based Risk

Management (CBRM) in collaboration with the Association of Disaster Studies and Management

(ADSaM).

Findings: Major Issues and Challenges

The review of the DRR practices of the four IWG member NGOs, namely, SC US, WVE, IRC, and CRS

the state of policy instruments in Ethiopia showed that in as much as there are noble and

imaginative starts and hopes major challenges continue to abound.

The team started the review exercise by providing the DRR conceptual framework and forwarded a

sample model in order to anchor its analysis of experiences in Ethiopia on a firm theoretical ground.

It has also attempted to provide analysis on the link between DRR and Development and a brief

overview on the current government policy, poverty reduction instruments and institutional

arrangements in Ethiopia. Seven Program and Project cases were reviewed and analyzed against a

standard DRR planning process.

The overall findings show that there are recorded achievements in disaster risk identifications,

improving the livelihoods of communities and a gradual understanding and appreciation of DRR

issues in Ethiopia. It was found out that DRR approaches applied by the four reviewed agencies have

some similarities in as much as they have differences in the way they conceive and understand DRR

and in their management styles and commonalities in the fact that all do not anchor their DRR

approach on a conceptual understanding and adoption of a model that guides their intervention

towards helping the affected communities to resilience.


There are also challenges/ gaps shared by all the reviewed NGOs. The major ones are:

- A visible gap in defining terms, developing conceptual framework of DRR and adopting models

that guide interventions.

- Disaster risk reduction laws, institutions, plans, programs and processes do not seem to

anticipate changes and adapt to new circumstances, knowledge demands and conditions.

- Relatively good policies, systems, plans, or regulations are in place but seem to be ignored, or

make little impact on DRR practices. For policies to make an impact they must be constantly

taken into account in routine decision-making and must be institutionalized (legislated and

integrated into the laws, practices, and customs of the society).

- Coordination and cooperation among government and non-governmental organizations is not

strengthened to the desired level to enable the integration of DRR into development planning.

Functions and responsibilities do not seem to be formalized and accepted by all involved entities.

Dealing with environmental pollution: the experience of Oxfam during the 2002 drought crisis.


- In Ethiopia, there is currently a drive toward devolution of powers, authorities and responsibilities

from higher levels of government to lower levels of administration. However, local governments

particularly in the pastoral areas do not yet possess adequate resources, expertise, and the

essential capacity.

- There is an absence of constituencies and little integration of DRR in all sectors of government

and civil society that should be addressed through capacity building, community-based disaster

management, and public awareness and social marketing.

- Approaches organizations adopt in risk reduction management are different. Each of them adopts

approaches taken from different sources and situations. This is not a problem per se. The real

challenge is the fact that there is little information exchange and networking between the

agencies which sometimes is aggravated by donor pressure and fund accessing drive of

agencies.

- There are gaps in properly approaching the community through existing traditions, culture,

knowledge and local capacities and enable them choose their development options. Using local

knowledge to improve DRR is yet to be developed.

Lessons Learned

Key lessons that emerged from the exercise are:

l Conceptual clarity about disasters, risks and their link with overall development of a country is

essential to effectively reduce vulnerability and enhance resilience of communities.

l Community participation builds up confidence to enable them make a difference and acquire


capabilities in pursue disaster preparedness and development responsibilities at the local level.

This leads to empowerment.

l Community involvement in disaster risk assessment, management and reduction leads to

ownership, commitment and concerted actions towards disaster mitigation, including resource

mobilization; cost effectiveness, uplifting the spirits of self-help and sustainability.

l Traditional methods of early warning and resources management should always be given due

attention in designing and implementing any development and/or relief activities. Any DRR

intervention particularly with regard to environmental rehabilitation, livestock, water and

rangeland development should be strengthened and designed in line with existing traditional

systems.

l The reclamation of degraded areas should be a necessary part of any program desiring to improve

agricultural production and livelihoods in the drought prone areas where so many of the food

insecure population live.

l The new approach adopted to land rehabilitation which combines physical soil and water

conservation structures with biological measures have a noticeable impact even in a few years

in reducing the rates of soil erosion and increasing water retention in the soils and water

availability in drought prone areas.

l Forecasting on the links with the private sector could ensure viability of projects like for instance

the marketability of cash crops produced through WV projects before committing resources to

its cultivation. Abundance may not some time be the only way out from the traps of food

insecurity.


l Gathering population data during baseline study to launch a project shouldn’t stop at the current

figures. It should project the potential rate of annual increase and factor the implications into the

size of the project planning process. Attraction factors of projects must also be considered and

hedging mechanism should be put in place.

l More vigorous and systematic approach is required in conducting community participation to

remove suspicion and ensure successes of DRR projects. For this, carefully identifying cultural

contexts and identities of communities and having very clear knowledge on the local socio-

political and cultural history before soliciting ideas is crucial.

Recommendations

Mainstreaming Disaster Risk Reduction into Development endeavors: disasters are unresolved

development problems that occur when risks go unmanaged. Disasters such as floods, landslides,

drought, and earthquakes tend to be viewed in isolation by development planners as a humanitarian

issue to which ad hoc responses are only made in the form of immediate relief.

The review recommends a departure from such traditional thinking. Mainstreaming of disaster

reduction into development and post-disaster recovery should become an essential component in

for sustainable human and physical development.

Standardization and Coordination: Disaster risk reduction should be the central element in future or

ongoing development policy. This calls for a standardized approach and collaboration between

government and other development agencies responsible for development planning.

Decentralized disaster risk planning strategies: This approach empowers communities and opens

the window for local participation. The most vulnerable societies are often those most excluded from


community decision-making and in many cases this includes women. Enabling participation in these

circumstances requires a long term commitment to social development as part of vulnerability

reduction programs.

Establishment of Information and Knowledge Network/ Disaster Risk Reduction Information

Platform/: It is high time to establish Disaster Risk Reduction Information Platform at national,

regional and woreda levels : The objectives of such platform would be to promote a nationwide

culture of risk reduction by providing access to knowledge, experience and effective practices for

disaster risk management and its increased application (i.e. availability and utility) of public

administration policy, professional involvement, commercial engagement, and public understanding

to reduce the impact of future disaster on societies. To this end, the following implementing

objectives are needed:

l To promote collaboration and information sharing.

l To motivate a knowledge network and user-based services.

l To increase public awareness

l To identify gaps in information usage and to disseminate information according to a

comprehensive communication strategy, distributing relevant and accurate information on risk

reduction and educational material through multiple means, including the use of freely

available web-based portals.

This will have the added value of enabling useful information sharing; linkage to reliable information

sources, and contributes to the identification of lessons learned and good practices and harmonizing

approaches for disaster risk reduction and related management activities in Ethiopia.

GOOD PRACTICES OF DISASTER RISKREDUCTION STRATEGIES IN

EAST AND WEST HARARGHE, ETHIOPIA

MERCY CORPSCARE and CRS

This excerpt is taken from a report produced by Mercy Corps Ethiopia based on a study conductedin the two zones in Eastern Ethiopia. The whole document can be obtained from Mercy Corps at theaddress below.

Mercy Corps EthiopiaTom Hensleigh251-011-416-9337, PO Box 14319, Addis AbabaE-mail: [email protected] K/Ketema, Kebele 08/09 House No 336


Executive Summary

The Emergency Capacity Building (ECB) project aims to combine the collective knowledge and

experiences of the Interagency Working Group (IWG) to improve the speed, quality and

effectiveness of emergency responses. The project encompasses four initiatives, one of which is

Disaster Risk reduction (DRR). ECB3 Ethiopia was initiated as a pilot project to focus on Disaster

Risk Reduction. Documentation of past experiences and learning from local communities of the

project areas of IWG was identified to be one of the activities of ECB3. One of these activities was

the DRR Strategy in operational areas of CARE, CRS and Mercy Corps in West Hararghe and East

Hararghe Zones. This document is a report produced by a consultant on this assignment to review

and document the DRR strategies employed by these agencies in their operational areas in the two

Zones. The report is based on information gathered from document review, the field and the Addis

offices of the three IWG members, pertinent government offices and principally the community, in a

qualitative participatory approach.

The study area is characterized by, among others, mixed farming dominated by crop husbandry,

rugged topography, degraded natural resource bases, high population pressure with almost all

adolescent and adult members of the community addicted to chat and cigarettes, and chronic food

insecurity related to poor climate. In these two Zones, in most cases, the principal and most frequent

hazards that easily lead to disasters have been related to an undesirable change in elements of the

climate. Others, like social conflicts, outbreak of livestock and human diseases and crop pests, and

floods are also reported. Poor performance of the rains, including delayed onset, erratic, uneven

and/or inadequate distribution, and early termination, have been frequent and severe, especially over

the last two decades. These disasters have been instigated or escalated by a number of factors,

including unchecked population growth, unwise livelihood strategies and unwise behaviours.


CRS, CARE and Mercy Corps are NGOs operating in the two Zones. CRS started operating in Ethiopia

in 1958, and has been intervening through its partners such as the Hararghe Catholic Secretariat

(HCS), recently reorganized as the Social and Development Coordination Office of Hararghe. In

Hararghe, these partners have designed and accomplished programs that include: the Multi-Year

Operational Plan; Development Activity Proposal (DAP) I, DAP II and the Productive Safety Net

Program (PSNP)/Biruh Tesfa. Likewise, CARE has been operating in Hararghe since 1985, when it

started emergency operations and has been working on relief rehabilitation and development-related

intervention through programs and projects such as Relief to Development Program, DAP I, DAP II,

MICAH, EOS, REVIVE and the currently ongoing HIBRET/PSNP. Mercy Corps started intervention in

Ethiopia and in West Hararghe in 2004, in response to the 2003 disaster and has been working on

activities related to livestock health and feed, and livelihood strengthening activities.

A number of agencies have been responding to the disasters in the area in different ways. Almost

all NGOs that once operated or are still operating in the area started in response to emergency.

CARE, HCS, EECMY/LWF, CISP, ICRC, MfM, Oxfam GB, GOAL and DPPC (using resources obtained

from sources such as the EC, WFP and USAID) have regularly responded to disasters. Responses

have also been made in the areas of therapeutic feeding, water development and rehabilitation of

victims. The launch of the PSNP, including almost all of the districts of the two Zones, is the recent

response to the chronic disaster. Apart from some irregular arrangements, a forum to enable

practitioners to synchronize their relief, rehabilitation and development activities coherently has not

been in place.

Even though none of the three NGOs has designed and implemented a specific program as part of a

strategy that they have called DRR, they have accomplished commendable activities in terms of

prevention, mitigation, preparedness and response:


l Prevention and mitigation - activities undertaken by Mercy Corps and the others in the area of

livestock health and feed, the Integrated Watershed Management approach designed and

implemented by CRS and CARE, activities undertaken by CARE and CRS in relation to crop

husbandry like crop introduction and diversification, integrated pest management, and irrigation,

activities accomplished by CRS and CARE in terms of infrastructures and social services like

roads, community health services, and water development, CARE’s and CRS’ rehabilitation and

conservation of natural resources, activities undertaken by all three agencies in income

generation and behavioural change.

l Preparedness and response - roles played by CRS and CARE in relation to early warning,

construction of access roads and food stores, distribution of relief and rehabilitation resources,

and capacity building.

Considering the duration and severity of the problem the people have experienced, one might expect

that they have developed and broadly used their own disaster risk management strategies.

However, due to reasons principally related to tradition, socio-cultural set-up, the way in which

responses of outsiders have been made, and other related variables like education and exposures,

this has barely happened. Their practice is limited to exercising traditional risk minimization and risk

diversification activities in crop and livestock husbandry. They have also been involved in the

resettlement program and activities undertaken by GOs and NGOs in relation to disaster risk

management.

Interventions undertaken in relation to disaster risk reduction have faced challenges, including

frequent and high staff turnover and structural change in government offices, wrong expectations by

the people, lack of continuity of interventions, limited coverage, inadequate response and limited

activities of the NGOs, lack of sustainability of achievements, absence of work on social conflict,

and lack of work on education and behavioural change.


Finally, a number of points were identified and are presented as lessons for future possible

interventions that could be undertaken in this area or more broadly. These include the added value

of an Integrated Watershed Management approach; the added value of household-based natural

resource rehabilitation, conservation and management; the need for community level sensitization

and awareness creation regarding the root causes of disaster and their possible reduction

strategies; the importance and added value of diversification of activities, and hence sources of

income of the vulnerable households; the importance and immediate impact of crop diversification

and irrigation development together with the required software components, especially high value

crops; the possibility of capitalizing on the past and ongoing activities of these agencies for

development of DRR strategies; the desirable effect of combining health, nutrition, capacity building

and awareness creation interventions in relation to livestock husbandry; the need for and importance

of promoting saving and credit groups and working on changing the behaviour and attitudes of

people in terms of resource management and utilization; sustained values of infrastructure like

roads; and the need for promoting the concept and approach of a DRR strategy.

Lessons and Concluding Remarks

By this assessment, in response to concerns of the TOR prepared for the same, attempt is made to

identify and present factors causing disasters in the area and immediate and long-term

consequences of the disasters and their broader implications. Attempt is also made to briefly

describe the presence and program portfolio of CARE, CRS and Mercy Corps. As much as possible,

it is also attempted to identify and characterize activities accomplished by this organizations in the

two Zones directly or through their partners vis-à-vis the disasters the people have been facing.

Responses made to disaster in the area and their coherences are also assessed. Further, some of

the gaps manifested in general and in the course of interventions of these NGOs are also identified.

Based on these, the following points are identified as lessons learned and for consideration in future

possible interventions that could be undertaken in this specific area or at the macro level.


Considering the fact that none of these three NGOs have designed DRR Strategy related project, the

activities they accomplished in the course of responding to emergencies and rehabilitating the

victims are found to be good examples for the different strategies of disaster risk management.

However, they have been limited principally by inadequate resource that forced them to work in

limited kebeles and on limited activities, hence their contribution to tackling the root causes of the

disasters has not been significant. This could indicate to the NGOs and their donors the importance

of giving due consideration to sustainable prevention of disaster risks.

Commendable activities have been accomplished by the three NGOs in terms of prevention,

mitigation, preparedness and response in the areas of livestock husbandry, integrated development

approach, crop husbandry, infrastructure and social service development, rehabilitation and

conservation of natural resources, income generation and behavioural change, early warning works,

access roads and food stores, relief and rehabilitation, and capacity building. From accomplishments

and achievements of these activities, the following are clear.

l Experiences and achievements from these NGOs and elsewhere in the country indicate that, not

withstanding the fact that it demands huge resource, integrated development approaches like the

Integrated Watershed Management approach have better sustainable impact in terms of disaster

prevention and mitigation and overall development.

l Rehabilitation and conservation of the natural resource base of areas affected by drought is the

basic and long-term means of disaster risk reduction.

l There is a felt need for awareness creation and capacity building interventions within the

community so that they can correctly understand the root causes and be able to actively

participate on community based DRR programs.


l Diversifying income activities of the frequently affected households, is identified as among the

best DRR strategies.

l From the assessment, diversification of the crop husbandry through measures like introduction

and promotion of varieties of the existing crops that are early maturing, drought resistant, disease

and pest resistant and more productive, and introduction of crops new to the area like types of

vegetables, fruits and oil seeds are determined to have immediate and sustainable impact in

terms of disaster prevention and building resiliency of the people.

l Also related to crop husbandry, where the potential is available, irrigation development using

surface or underground water is identified to be the other sustainable solution that would also

have immediate impact. The impact and sustainability would be high if the physical development

is accompanied with the required software components like organizing the beneficiaries, linking

them to input-output markets and equipping them with the required skill and knowledge.

l Practices of these NGOs have shown that successful DRR strategies could be designed in the

area of livestock husbandry. It is possible to mitigate and prevent disasters related to this sub-

sector through interventions like vaccination, treatment, and development of household level

indigenous fodder plants, and water. Combining these with awareness creation and capacity

building interventions is also identified to result in more effective and more sustainable

strategies.

l Undesirable working culture is the other point. Efforts made by these NGOs like organizing the

people into saving and credit groups indicate that systematic work on this issue, including

awareness raising intervention aimed at behavioural change, can result in significant and

immediate improvement on vulnerability of the households.


l It is also identified that opening access roads to inaccessible areas is important in terms of timely

and effective response to, preparedness against, and working on mitigation and prevention of

disasters.

l The interventions or their outcomes have been constrained by a number of problems like frequent

and high turnover, wrong expectation, absence of continuity of interventions, limited coverage,

inadequate response and limited activities, lack of sustainability, absence of work on social

conflict, and absence of work on education and behavioural change. For better performances and

achievements, future interventions should consider these gaps.

l Future responses to disasters should be designed to build communities’ problem solving

capacity. In relation to this, the Hyogo Framework for Action recommends that both communities

and local authorities should be empowered to manage and reduce disaster risk by having access,

among the others, to the necessary information to implement actions for disaster risk reduction.

l Considering the fact that hazards and resulting disasters are not governed by political boundaries,

a strong forum that could bring GOs and NGOs together at zone level with the objective of

creating coherence, avoiding duplications, facilitating experience sharing, etc. is required.


Summary

During an evaluation of October 2006 into the Disaster Risk Reduction Strategies of Mercy Corps,

CARE and CRS, the following good practices were identified.

In disaster risk reduction/prevention and mitigation, the following were of particular note:

l Mercy Corps’ activities in West Hararghe in livestock disease prevention and cure, indigenous

fodder tree cultivation and capacity building of relevant government offices have improved the

resilience of livestock and in turn improved the resilience of people.

l CRS’ and CARE’s integrated watershed management approach in some areas of East and

West Hararghe is comprehensive, inclusive and participatory with immediate results and

spillover impacts.

l CARE’s and CRS’ activities in crop husbandry have been effective, including diversification

away from sorghum, through the introduction of new crop types, better performing types of

existing crops, integrated pest management and micro irrigation.

l CRS’ and CARE’s natural resource rehabilitation and conservation activities in East and West

Hararghe, mainly reforestation and soil and water conservation, on communal holdings and

individual plots, are a source of considerable income. In particular, reforestation with

multipurpose, early maturing and cash generating trees has improved people’s resilience.

These activities, though they have lacked adequate sustainability, have contributed to

greening the area and have taught the people that it is possible to change the area’s

appearance, micro-climate and natural resource base.


l Diversification of activities and hence of sources of income have taught people that it is

possible to save and to change people’s behaviour. Groups initiated by the three organisations

have served as forums for discussion on social matters and an entry point for behavioural

change.

l Development by CARE and CRS of infrastructure and social services such as access roads,

community heath services and water services in East and West Hararghe are highly valued

by beneficiaries. Access roads in particular have proven to be sustainable and have facilitated

disaster response and development works such as construction of social centres and trading.

In preparedness and response, the following exemplary activities were particularly

noteworthy.

l Response to disasters and distribution of relief resources through schemes that contributed to

fighting the root cause of the problem, such as employment generation schemes.

l Rehabilitating disaster victims through the distribution of rehabilitation resources such as

seeds (through seed fairs and seed vouchers), hand/farm tools and restocking.

l Contribution to early warning schemes through providing resources, know how and labour.

l Construction of food stores in accessible locations.

l Capacity building of relevant government offices such as disaster prevention and

preparedness units and agricultural and natural resources development offices, enabling them

to work more effectively on development, disaster risk reduction and response to disasters.

A Study on Flood Risk Mitigation in East Hararhge Zone, Dire

Dawa Administrative Council and Shinile Zone

A pilot project of ECB3 (Save the Children-USA), lead and conducted by

Catholic Relief Services (CRS)

- December 2006 / Addis Ababa

This excerpt is taken from a report produced by CRS Ethiopia based on a study conducted in thethree areas in Eastern Ethiopia. The whole document can be obtained from CRS at the addressbelow.

Catholic Relief Services/Ethiopia

Tesfaye Tilahun / 251-011-467 0298, PO Box 6592, Addis Ababa

[email protected]


Executive Summary

This paper is an outcome of the study made on "Flood Risk Mitigation" in the three areas of eastern

Ethiopia - Harmaya and Kersa Woredas of East Hararghe Zone, Oromiya Region, Dire Dawa

Administrative Council and Aysha Woreda of Shinile Zone, Somali Region. The objectives of the

study were to identify the causes and patterns of floods, local coping strategies and mitigation

practices and to identify priority actions as recommendations for the mitigation of flood hazards.

Based on objectives of the study as specified in the TOR, the Consultants have formulated methods

of data collection and investigation pertaining to flooding causation, effects and employed local

practices to avert the situation.

The data for this purpose are collected from both primary and secondary sources. Primary data

sources include: interview, organized group discussion, and field observations. The incidence and

extent of damage used as historical perspectives were obtained from memory recall of community

elders. Information received in this manner was then verified through debriefing sessions organized

to local stakeholders. Debriefings were conducted, first among government officials, experts and

NGOs within the respective study areas, and then followed by CRS experts and Interagency Working

Group (IWG) members. Secondary sources were also referred from existing documents maintained

by government organization and NGOs.

The flooding situations in all the areas evolved from human activities on land-based resources.

Therefore, the present flooding problems have emerged from physical, social and policy issues. The

community, government and humanitarian organizations are required to coordinate their concerted

efforts to withstand the current flooding challenges faced by those communities living in the flood

prone areas. Finally, development options integrated in comprehensive watershed management are

recommended for mitigating flooding risks.


Findings and Recommendations

The study findings which include the causes of flooding, their magnitude and trends are separately

described for the three agro-ecological zones (upland Haramaya and Kersa, midland Dire Dawa, and

lowland (semi-arid) Ayhsa of Shinile Zone).

1. Haramaya and Kersa – East Harerghe

Causation: These areas are observed as having topographically steep, shallow soils and degraded

vegetation and extensive cultivation that often generate flash floods. Also, drainages from roads

have become the major source of flooding.

Incidences: Flooding has become one of the major threats over the past three decades (1975 to

date). The major flooding incidences occurred in the year 1975, 1981, 1990, 1994, 2002 and 2006.

Therefore, the incidence took place during both short "Belg" and long "Meher" rainy seasons. The

floods have killed several persons and livestock with further crop field damages.

Effect: Flooding has increased in frequency and magnitude along with the increase of cultivation,

and grazing of fragile lands.

Coping mechanism: The existing effort and practice are borati lola (cut-off drain like structure), tie -

ridging, terracing, hedgerow planting, row cropping and check-dams. After the incidence, the

community and neighbourhoods have traditional mutual assistance system known as Guza through

whereby labour and materials are freely contributed for sediment removal from the crop fields and

house reconstruction for those households affected by the flooding.


Recommendations

l Enhance existing traditional and introduced good land and flood management practices;

l Make productive the deteriorating gullies and hillsides that are prone to flooding by implementing

plantation and water conservation measures. These land use types need to be allocated to

certain community user groups or individuals so as to achieve sustainable results.

l Income generation including ecotourism should be promoted to reduce pressure on the already

fragile lands;

l Emergency relief assistance for flood victimised people should be provided in a better

coordinated way;

l Environmental education among local schools and broader community should be initiated and

supported;

l Encourage and facilitate research leading to better community management of flood mitigation

approach and other natural resource use.

2. Dire Dawa Administrative Council

This administration is divided into rural and urban settings comprising of 28 rural and nine urban

kebeles; with a total population of 95,391 rural and 260,759 urban.

Rural Dire Dawa

Causation: Topography, overgrazing and deforestation of the hills were the main causes of flooding.

About 70% of the total runoff in the studied watershed is generated from the upland of eastern


Hararghe (including other woredas that are not covered by this study).

Incidence: The significant historical perspective of flooding goes back to six decades (1945).

Subsequent floods were recalled to have occurred in 1980, 1981, 1994, 2005 and 2006.

Effects: From their memory recall, elders have reported that 258 ha of croplands were damaged

during those memorable incidences. Besides, subsequent floods

have killed 6 persons, 48 animals and destroyed 40 residential

homes.

Urban Dire Dawa

Causation: Dire Dawa City lies on the foothills. The four streams

passing through the city (Legehare, Goro, Dechatu and Butugi)

often burst their banks causing flash floods after heavy rains in

the June-August period drench neighboring highland areas in East Harerghe. Inappropriate design of

settlement areas and construction along river courses, including inadequate and poor sewerage and

roof waters have exacerbated flooding.

Incidence: Flooding incidences are similar with that of rural Dire Dawa. However, the extent and

magnitude of the effect on property and human life loss are immense. Case studies are brought to

highlight the conditions of flood victims.

Trend: The trend of flooding is increasing as long as human activities in the upland continue to exert

pressure on land resources.

Coping mechanism: The Italians, during their brief occupation of Ethiopia (1936-1941) had

prohibited construction of residential homes around river banks to provided safety to the community.

Damage occurred on Dechatu Bridge on August 5, 2006


At times of flood disasters, victims are often assisted by the neighbourhood, broader community,

the government, foreign agencies and NGOs.

Recommendations

l Enhance existing traditional and introduced good land and flood management practices;

l Make productive the deteriorating gullies and hillsides that are prone to flooding by implementing

plantation and water conservation measures. These land use types need to be allocated to

certain community user groups or individuals so as to achieve sustainable results.

l Income generation including ecotourism should be promoted to reduce pressure on the fragile

lands;

l Assist in the relocation of illegal settlers and built-up structures along floodplain;

l Emergency relief assistance for flood victimised people should be provided in a better

coordinated way;

l Environmental education among local schools and broader community should be initiated and

supported;

l Encourage and facilitate research leading to better community management of flood mitigation

approach and other natural resource use.


3. Aysha Woreda, Shinile Zone

Causation: The flooding among the semi-arid pastoral communities in Aysha Woreda mainly caused

by rainfall beyond the boundary from the Puntland of Somalia. Also, some of the floods in Aysha are

caused by rains in Dire Dawa area and highland areas in East Harerghe.

Incidence and effect: Five flooding incidences have occurred in 1977, 2002, 2004, 2005 and 2006.

Loss of 12 persons and 900 animals were reported. Although the streams in the area have great

economic importance they have become a threat and danger on many occasions because of sudden

over flooding.

Coping mechanism: Flooding results both positive and negative impacts depending on specific

socio-economic activities and topographic location. Coping mechanism also depended on this

situation. For pastoralists flooding brings water and sediment that will be used for rejuvenating

pasture and replenishing groundwater. Pastoralists are delighted when pastures are flooded. On the

other hand, flash floods cause severe losses onto the communities residing along stream courses

through disruption of livelihoods and environmental degradation. This part of the community

indicated that since major flood comes from outside their area they often get victimised even

without recognizing rain has fallen. Hence they developed little coping mechanism towards these

phenomena. Moreover pastoralists in the Puntland and Aysha woreda move from place to place

depending on the availability of pasture and water. This method helps pastoralists to get away from

drought and flood incidences.

Recommendations

For pastoralists flooding brings water and sediment that will be used for rejuvenating pasture and

replenishing groundwater. This situation should be recognized beneficial to the livelihood of the


pastoralists and environment and supported by development programmes of the government as well

as IWG. On the other hand, communities residing along stream courses should be supported by

applying various flood mitigation methods that include construction of dykes and giving early

warning of flood occurrence. Moreover pastoralists in Aysha woreda and Puntland of Somalia travel

from place to place depending on the availability of pasture and water. This method helps

pastoralists to get away from drought and flood incidences and should be allowed to persist.

However flood mitigation strategies within these areas remains trans-regional and trans-national

issue that need to be addressed by the government.

Moreover, environmental education among local schools and broader community should be initiated

and supported. Emergency relief assistance for flood victimised people should be provided in a

better coordinated way.

Conclusion

We conclude that flooding incidences have increased from time to time. The major causes of

flooding are steep slopes, reduced vegetation cover, shallow soils, and inappropriate human

activities mainly along river courses. Poverty creates conditions that result in greater damage from

this natural disaster. Following the floods, incidence of poverty increases, as marginal groups

descend into poverty after flood-related losses occur. When people descend into poverty they may

not invest on flood mitigation intervention. In general flooding has both positive and negative

impacts depending on geographical location and socio-economic settings. For the downstream

agriculture-based communities and pastoralists floods are sources of fertile sediment and water that

are used for crop production, rejuvenating pasture and replenishing groundwater. On the other hand,

flash floods cause severe losses on communities residing along stream courses through disruption

of livelihoods and environmental degradation. If such flooding situation continues the study team

fear a worsening of the livelihoods of the population and environmental degradation soon. In spite of


this responses to flooding were reactive rather than preventive, with the humanitarian community

responding to appeals for assistance after floods have caused damage.

Overall Recommendation

l In the entire stratum of the study an integrated watershed management is recommended

because it constitutes land, water, vegetation, livestock and human population. Therefore, it is

imperative for efficient management of resource by way of introducing various activities

including flooding as an appropriate intervention approach.

l Coping mechanisms to flood incidences exist in different study areas. But intensive capacity

building intervention is required to make the practices more robust and effective.

l The semi-arid pastoral Somali zone requires extensive research not only for flood mitigation but

should include sustainable livelihood and welfare for the pastoral communities.

Review of Disaster Risk Reduction Practices in Ethiopia ... · Excerpts from ECB3 Ethiopia …...

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