A workshop on Urban Seasonal Livelihood Programming

A workshop on Urban Seasonal Livelihood Programming is held ===============================================

Bahir Dar University, Institute of Disaster Risk Management & Food Security Studies in collaboration with FAO and Bahir Dar City Administration holds five days workshop on Bahir Dar Seasonal Livelihood Programming.

Director of the Institute of Disaster Risk Management & Food Security Studies, BDU, Dr. Adane Tesfaye welcomed the participants to the workshop. In his welcoming speech, he noted that the workshop has five major objectives. He said identification and analysis of the history and trends of shock in Bahir Dar city is one of the major issues to be explored. Identification of livelihoods, the coping strategies and the stack holders in action, preparation of an outline of action plan on how the findings can be utilized and evaluation of how tools can be used in urban development planning and implementation at the local level are the other objectives of the workshop.

Dr. Adane discussed how far Bahir Dar University has travelled to produce qualified professionals in the field of food security and risk management areas. He provided the historical development of the field at the country level. In relation to this he said the establishment of Disaster Risk Management Institute at the country level was a response to the 1973/74 famine. The director added the opening of the department at Bahir Dar University was due to a gap in qualified human resource and lack of well articulated policy matter at national level. He said BDU believes, beginning the inauguration of the department in 2005, it is contributing its share to alleviating the two problems. The then department is now an institution wherein students are trained both in bachelor and masters degree level.

The director said the institution is working hand in hand with different organizations such as UNDP, WFP, African Universities forum, USAID, EU_GNDR and various NGOs to mitigating the impact of disaster at national level. Dr Adane finally thanked WFP for Sponsoring the workshop, his team for their commitment in realizing the workshop and all the participants for accepting the invitation and for their keep participation in the workshop. Finally, the workshop was officially opened by Ato Zelalem Getahun, Head of Bahir Dar city Sanitation and beautification.