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Early responses to natural disasters in Ethiopia
Pastoralists living in Hamer woreda in south west Ethiopia face a constant battle to survive. Natural disasters such as recurring droughts and animal disease outbreaks make earning a living from livestock extremely challenging.
All too often in this area, it can take the government a long time to respond to natural disasters. Smaller, more immediate, contingency plans at the community level can often prevent the worst aspects of the natural disaster – as well as being more cost-effective.
Since the start of FARM-Africa’s latest project in this area last year, 137 pastoralists have been trained to improve their community’s ability to respond effectively to the warning signs of natural disasters, such as widespread and consistent lack of rainfall or multiple cases of disease outbreak amongst livestock.
At a two day training session earlier in the year, trainees agreed upon major warning signs of natural disasters and how to communicate these to other members of their community. As most community members are illiterate, trainees learnt how to share information with their community using images and symbols. Information to be recorded includes the availability of water, pasture, sources of food, human and livestock health and the market situation.
FARM-Africa has been working with communities to draw up contingency plans to put into action once early warning signs are observed. For example, an early warning system for animal disease outbreaks will trigger a more prompt and effective treatment of the outbreak by FARM-Africa trained Community Animal Health Workers in the area.
Communities also have the training and finance they need to operate a fund at a local level to respond to emergencies highlighted by the warning system. Based on their training, communities can now assess the impending situation and employ an appropriate response.
By the end of the project in July 2012 – 3,700 households will have the skills and knowledge to respond effectively to impending natural disasters.
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