Wereda Disaster Risk Profiling Programme: SNNPR
Disaster Risk Profile: Bonke Wereda (May 2017)
HOUSEHOLD AND COMMUNITY
VVUULLNNEERRAABIBLIILTIYTY
The wereda is mixed crop and livestock producing system. Cereals
dominate crop production where maize, teff, barley, wheat and
sorghum are widely grown in the area. Crop production is constrained
by many hazards like erratic rainfall distribution, rainfall shortage,
crop pests and diseases and floods. Shortage of pesticides and
improved seeds is reported in most kebeles. Moreover, poor soil
fertility, shortage of land, poor agronomic practices (including mono-
cropping) and high price of agricultural inputs (fertilizer, seeds and
pesticides) are additional constraints in crop production.
Sloppy topography, cultivation of mountainous and steep areas,
settlement condition and lack of enough soil and water conservation
works in some areas exposed households to flooding. Poor
environmental sanitation and personal hygiene, lack of clean drinking
water and food shortage exposed households to malaria, typhoid,
typhus and skin diseases. January is the most problematic month in
terms of pasture and water availability for livestock. Traditional
livestock production system and diminishing grass areas reduced
livestock productivity.
On the other hand, large family size (8 per household), lack of family
planning, poor saving habit and lack of awareness are additional
vulnerability factors. More than 80% of the households did not
manage to recover from the disaster loss they suffered implying weak
resilience capacity of the community. About 15% of households have
received food aid.
Accessibility:
Access to veterinary facility: 56% of the households reported to have poor access to veterinary service and livestock drugs.
Access to water and sanitation: 52% and 48% of the households primarily obtain drinking water from rivers/streams and communal tap
respectively. About 65% of the households treat drinking water using different techniques. With regard to sanitation, 97% of the households use
outdoor latrine.
Access to road and urban centre: average time taken to reach the nearest paved road is 1 hour, while it took them 3 hours to reach the nearest
urban centre. Access to electricity: 6% of the households are located in the community with electricity and 4% are connected to electric power.
Access and linkage to market is poor for most kebeles due to lack of road access.
Utilization of fertilizer, pesticide and improved seeds: 90% of the households have used chemical fertilizer in crop production, while 34% of
the households have used pesticides. On the other hand, 95% of the households have reported using improved variety of seeds.
Access to agricultural extension service is good and 95% of the households have received agricultural extension service.
Access to credit: 10% of the households have borrowed money from different sources mainly to purchase food and agricultural inputs.
Level of Awareness and Institutional Development
The literacy level of the population above 7 years of age is 17%, out of which 32% of them
completed only below first grade level, while 44% and 22% of the population attended primary
and secondary school respectively. With regard to gender disparity in education, proportion of
male students is more than female students at primary and higher levels.
Community awareness about disaster risk management actors and system is good. There are
community based organizations such as cooperatives (which supply agricultural inputs and
consumption goods to its members), Edir and Ekub (association to help each other in social
affairs) as well as women and youth associations. Hope international development agency and
WASH are working in the wereda on supply of clean water to the community.
InfoBits:
Population
: 158795 (2007)
Sex ratio
: 1011 F/1000 M
Urban Population : 6344 (2007)
Mean Altitude : 1820 m
Mean Slope
: 10.4%
Measles caseload : 11 (2004 to 2009)
Sources: Various Secondary Sources
COMMUNITY CAPACITY TO COPE
Saving crop surplus for consumption, selling more livestock than usual, looking for labour work and selling firewood/charcoal are the major
coping mechanisms when households face problems.
Farmers use different methods to mitigate the effect of drought, which include cultivation of short cycle crops, adjusting cropping calendar and
cultivation of drought tolerant crops (like sweet potato, Enset and root crops).
The level of cooperation in the community is good, but it is decreasing over time due to recurrent occurrence of disasters and poor capacity.
Crop and livestock diversity: major crops produced are maize, teff, wheat, barley and sorghum. Potato, Enset and root crops are also grown in
the area. On the other hand, cattle are the major types of livestock reared in the area followed by sheep, goat, donkey and poultry. There are
potential rivers like Dancha River that can be used for irrigation to mitigate the effect of drought.