Wereda Disaster Risk Profiling Programme: SNNP
Disaster Risk Profile: Mirab Badawacho Wereda
HOUSEHOLD AND COMMUNITY
VULNERABILITY
Selling cereal food crops is main source of livelihood followed by petty trade
and labour work. Some farmers shifted from maize production to other crops.
More than 2/3rd of the households reported to have no ox which substantially
affects crop production in the area as 92% of the households till their land
using oxen. Soil fertility is reported to be mainly poor due to erosion and lack
of soil and water conservation activity exacerbated the situation.
Dependency on external bodies (government and NGOs) is indicated as the
major weakness of the community, and this can be inferred from the fact that
the community indicated asking for help from NGO or government as their
main preparedness measure against a sudden on‐set of disasters and more
than 1/3rd of the households indicated food aid as the major public
intervention required. Lack of natural resource management and poor working
and saving habit are also additional weaknesses in the community.
Of the total households surveyed, 60% of the households reported that they
can raise Birr 500 in one week from different sources. However, only 48% of
the households managed to recover from the disaster losses they suffered
indicating weak resilience capacity of the community. Moreover, 28% and 15%
of the population in the wereda received formal transfers in the form of cash
for work and food aid respectively.
Accessibility:
Access to road and urban centre: on average it took households 51 minutes to reach the nearest paved road, while it took them one hour and 50
minutes to reach the nearest urban centre.
Access to electricity: 6.4% of the households are located in the community with electricity; however, none of them are actually connected to electricity.
Access to veterinary facility: of the total households surveyed, 80% and 78% of them reported to have poor (very poor) access to veterinary service and
livestock drugs respectively.
Access to market is poor during rainy season due to lack of transportation.
Access to agricultural extension service: good access to extension service has been reported in almost all kebeles of the wereda, and 87% of the
households have received agricultural extension service.
Access to fertilizer, pesticides and improved seeds: 97% and 92% of the households have used different types of fertilizer and pesticide in crop
production respectively. Likewise, 84% of the households reported using improved variety of seeds.
Access to water and sanitation: 3/4th of the households mainly obtain drinking water mainly primarily from rivers, and 97% of them use the water
without making any type of treatment. On the other hand, 82% of the households use outdoor latrine.
Access to credit: 32% of the surveyed households have borrowed money mainly from local money lenders, and the majority used it to buy food.
Level of Awareness and Institutional Development
The literacy level of the population above 7 years of age is 12.5%, out of which 30% of them completed
only below first grade level, while 44% and 17% of the population attended primary and secondary school
respectively. With regard to gender parity in education, proportion of female students dominates at
below first grade level, but their number dwindles and highly dominated by males as the education level
gets higher.
Community awareness about disaster risk management system and actors is good, but they only view
NGOs as DRM actors. There are community based organizations in the wereda such as Edir (to facilitate
funeral ceremonies and other social affairs) and women and youth associations (which are engaged in
saving and credit services as well as other development activities). There are also NGOs such as Farm
Africa, World Vision and Catholic Church which are providing improved agricultural technologies and
credit facilities to farmers. This plays an important role in improving their socio‐economic condition of the
households and their capacity to withstand disasters.
InfoBits:
Population
: 83427 (2007)
Sex ratio
: 1041 F/1000 M
Urban Population
: 2113 (2007)
Mean Altitude
: 1846.09 m
Mean Slope
: 2.64%
Measles caseload
: 14 (2004-2009)
PLWHA on ART
:
Under-five children eligible
for supplementary feeding :
Sources: Various Secondary Sources
COMMUNITY CAPACITY TO COPE
Selling more livestock than usual, consumption rather than sale of crop surplus and borrowing food or cash are the three major coping mechanisms
households adopted during major disasters in the wereda particularly drought. Most households do not own oxen and they do labour work for
households who own oxen in exchange for oxen labour. Households also use migration (particularly for labour work) as coping mechanism during
drought. Growing short maturing crops is indicated as adaptation measure used against drought.
Utilization of agricultural inputs is very good in the wereda.
Strong social network and cooperation is reported in the community. But this cooperation is not much used in development activities.
Crop and livestock diversity: average number of crop grown is 2.59, and the major crops grown are teff and maize, while the major types of livestock
reared in the wereda are cattle, sheep, goat and donkey but the majority do not own all of them.