Sidama DRM

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Ethiopia is prone to various natural and human induced hazards, vulnerabilities and disaster risks. These vulnerabilities are more exacerbated by rapid population growth, unwise use of natural resources, environmental degradation, and climatic change and variability. Capacity to effectively prevent, mitigate, prepare for and respond to disaster risks requires appropriate scientific knowledge, skills, motivation and resources. These scientific knowledge and skills are acquired through training, education, policy support, and systemic accountability which require a qualified and relevant disaster risk management institution.

The first Ethiopian disaster management institution, the Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (RRC) was established in 1974, following the outbreak of the 1973/74 famine. The RRC was established as part of the government relief effort to coordinate both domestic and international aid for victims of the 1972-73 famine. The RRC was also mandated to prevent disasters through establishing effective early warning system. Though the RRC achieved impressive standards in implementing relief measures and in responding to the threat of food insecurity, it failed to address the structural causes of vulnerability. However, the RRC continued until 1989 heavily investing in response and recovery, rather than in preparedness and prevention measures. Taking this fact into account and based on the country’s deep-rooted history of disasters and the past disaster management experience, the transitional government of Ethiopia established the National Policy on Disaster Prevention and Management (NPDPM) in 1993 and restructured the RRC into a new Disaster Prevention and Preparedness Commission (DPPC) .

The NPDPM led the shift in thinking from relief and response to development that provides an opportunity for the integration of disaster risk management and sustainable development initiatives in higher education and research institutions. As a response to the identified policy gap in human capacity skill and research, Bahir Dar University has established the Department of Disaster Risk Management and Sustainable Development (DRMSD) undergraduate program in 2005 and the Disaster Risk Science post graduate program in 2007. Since then, the programs have turned out more than 200 B.Sc. and 25 M.Sc. graduates.