Wereda Disaster Risk Profiling Programme: SNNP
Disaster Risk Profile: Surma Wereda
HOUSEHOLD AND COMMUNITY VULNERABILITY
VULNERABILITY
Mixed farming and honey production is the main source of livelihood
of the community in the area. However due to recurrent drought and
livestock diseases crop and livestock production and productivity
decreases hence the community vulnerable for food shortage.
Besides severity of drought, tribal conflict mainly affects the
communities’ social life, poor Irrigation facilities, livestock disease, in
adequate provision of veterinary service and livestock drug, high
population density, human diseases, poor sanitation facilities and lack
of awareness and training on various issues are some of the factors
that contribute towards household vulnerability in the area.
In addition in adequate provision of infrastructure such as access road
and electricity contribute towards household vulnerability in the area.
For instance 52.3% of the household have no access road and none of
the household with electricity connection. Furthermore Poor credit
facility and lack of strong social network in agricultural and other
social activities exposed the community for vulnerability in the
Woreda.
Accessibility:
Access to Drinking water: 67.8% of the household drink water from River or stream and others use communal tap, open access Pond or lake, and also 90%
of the household drinks the water without treatment.
Access to electricity: None of the household has access with electricity connection.
Access to extension services and improved services seeds: 68% of the household received agricultural extension services and also 90% of the
Household have used improved verities of seeds.
Access to Veterinary Services and Livestock drug: - 15% of the household have got good and adequate access for veterinary services and also 14% of the
household have got good and adequate accesses for livestock drug.
Access to Sanitation services: - 17% of them use outdoors latrine/hole on plot however 82% of the household have no toile facility at all.
Access to Road: - 52% of the household have no access road and 7% of the household have access paved, gravel and dirt or difficult for
car road (16%) which led to their houses and urban centre. For instance to reached the nearest paved road the household required on average 1 hour
and to the nearest urban centre it required on almost on average 2 hours.
Level of Awareness and Institutional Development
The proportion of literate population above 7 years old is 21%. These populations categorized by level of
education reported that 62.5% less than 1st grade, 35% primary and 2.5% secondary school completed.
With regard to the gender parity in education the proportion of female students are higher than male at
less than 1st grade and the proportion of male is higher than female at primary grade and secondary
school level. From the total number of households surveyed, 58% of them are female-headed
households.
Community based organization such as Irrigation association, sand associations and honey associations
are formal organization through which community help each other during agricultural and others social
activities. However the levels cooperation is decreasing compared with the last decade. Non
government organization such as Red Cross and PPCDP are also some of the actors in the wereda
support the community in DRM activities
InfoBits:
Population
: 24,595 (2007)
Sex ratio
: 1085 F/1000 M
Urban Population
: 913 (2007)
Mean Altitude
: 1008.31
Mean Slope
: 4.48%
Measles caseload
PLWHA on ART
:
Under-five children eligible
for supplementary feeding:
Sources: Various Secondary Sources
COMMUNITY CAPACITY TO COPE
Major coping strategies: Consumption rather than sale of crop surplus, Sell more livestock than usual and Reduced expenditure on non-essential items and
collection of wild foods are the major coping strategies adopted by the household in the event of hazard or disaster.
In the event of more resource available: Adaptation of economic activities to hazards season and Storage of food and other necessities is the major coping
strategies opted by the household during disaster risk.
In the wereda it is reported that 92% of the household have managed to recover from losses of disasters affected.
Access to credit: On the average 1.23 number of household tried to get credit and 2.1 number of household have managed to get credit
services.
During disaster 36% of the household are able to raise Birr 500.00 in one week through selling asset or livestock.
On the average 2.0 different types of crops such as Maize and Sorghum are grown by the household. Besides Livestock such as cattle, shoat and pack
animals are rearing. Poultry production and bee keeping are also another source of income that contributes to the household as a coping capacity against
disaster risk.