Loss and damage from flooding in the Gambela region, Ethiopia

In this article, we explore the ways in which people in the Ethiopian Gambela region dealt with the extreme flood that occurred in 2007, with specific attention to the associated loss and damage, i.e., the impacts that people were not able to avoid through preventive and coping measures. We found th...

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Main Authors: Haile, Alemseged Tamiru, Kusters, K., Wagesho, N.
Format: Journal Article
Language:Inglés
Published: Inderscience Publishers 2013
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/58368
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author Haile, Alemseged Tamiru
Kusters, K.
Wagesho, N.
author_browse Haile, Alemseged Tamiru
Kusters, K.
Wagesho, N.
author_facet Haile, Alemseged Tamiru
Kusters, K.
Wagesho, N.
author_sort Haile, Alemseged Tamiru
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description In this article, we explore the ways in which people in the Ethiopian Gambela region dealt with the extreme flood that occurred in 2007, with specific attention to the associated loss and damage, i.e., the impacts that people were not able to avoid through preventive and coping measures. We found that all of the 431 surveyed households took preventive measures such as the construction of boundary walls, harvesting premature crops and digging drainage ditches to divert the flood away from croplands. However, these could not prevent widespread negative effects such as damage to houses and crops, the outbreak of diseases, and loss of livestock. To deal with the adverse effects, 50% of the respondents relied on the help of relatives, neighbours or friends for food and money. Such assistance appeared crucial. People were, however, worried about over-using their social networks, especially with floods occurring more regularly. Widening people's agricultural and non-agricultural options, for example through investments in micro-finance services and irrigation systems, will help to increase their coping capacity.
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spelling CGSpace583682025-06-17T08:24:26Z Loss and damage from flooding in the Gambela region, Ethiopia Haile, Alemseged Tamiru Kusters, K. Wagesho, N. flood control river basins households livestock income surveys In this article, we explore the ways in which people in the Ethiopian Gambela region dealt with the extreme flood that occurred in 2007, with specific attention to the associated loss and damage, i.e., the impacts that people were not able to avoid through preventive and coping measures. We found that all of the 431 surveyed households took preventive measures such as the construction of boundary walls, harvesting premature crops and digging drainage ditches to divert the flood away from croplands. However, these could not prevent widespread negative effects such as damage to houses and crops, the outbreak of diseases, and loss of livestock. To deal with the adverse effects, 50% of the respondents relied on the help of relatives, neighbours or friends for food and money. Such assistance appeared crucial. People were, however, worried about over-using their social networks, especially with floods occurring more regularly. Widening people's agricultural and non-agricultural options, for example through investments in micro-finance services and irrigation systems, will help to increase their coping capacity. 2013 2015-03-17T14:39:52Z 2015-03-17T14:39:52Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/58368 en Open Access Inderscience Publishers Haile, Alemseged Tamiru; Kusters, K.; Wagesho, N. 2013. Loss and damage from flooding in the Gambela region, Ethiopia. International Journal of Global Warming, 5(4):483-497. doi: https://doi.org/10.1504/IJGW.2013.057290
spellingShingle flood control
river basins
households
livestock
income
surveys
Haile, Alemseged Tamiru
Kusters, K.
Wagesho, N.
Loss and damage from flooding in the Gambela region, Ethiopia
title Loss and damage from flooding in the Gambela region, Ethiopia
title_full Loss and damage from flooding in the Gambela region, Ethiopia
title_fullStr Loss and damage from flooding in the Gambela region, Ethiopia
title_full_unstemmed Loss and damage from flooding in the Gambela region, Ethiopia
title_short Loss and damage from flooding in the Gambela region, Ethiopia
title_sort loss and damage from flooding in the gambela region ethiopia
topic flood control
river basins
households
livestock
income
surveys
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/58368
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AT kustersk lossanddamagefromfloodinginthegambelaregionethiopia
AT wageshon lossanddamagefromfloodinginthegambelaregionethiopia