Solving the risk equation: People-centred disaster risk assessment in Ethiopia

This Network Paper argues that a substantial new opportunity for people-centred disaster risk assessment in Ethiopia can be found in the information and analysis system recently established within the Ministry of Agriculture, through the Livelihoods Integration Unit.

The national livelihoods database provides the capacity to understand the diverse vulnerabilities of populations and to mathematically link these to hazards – a core requirement for carrying out anticipatory disaster risk assessments. The vulnerability component of the analytical process was previously missing or patchy at best. With the new national livelihoods information system, this gap has been largely filled.

This paper also discusses several methodological and conceptual advances relevant to disaster risk reduction, including multi-hazard risk analysis, survival and livelihoods protection thresholds and seasonal tools for analysing intra-annual variability.