Disaster Risk Management Practices among Households in Selected Kebeles of South Gondar Administrative Zone

Although disaster risk management has evolved as an interdisciplinary field and a community driven practice, disasters in Ethiopia have continued to grow in both scale and impact. One of the major challenges in addressing this issue is the lack of scientific knowledge about local disaster management practices and a limited understanding of the underlying factors. This mixed study assesses the disaster management practices of 635 households in locations affected by different hazards in South Gondar zone. The results showed that 66% of households exhibit very low levels of disaster management preparedness. Alarmingly, only 20% of households are engaged in disaster preparedness, while 35% are involved in prevention activities, and 39% in mitigation efforts. Statistical analysis revealed significant differences in disaster management practices based on location (kebeles, p = 0.001; woreda, p = 0.001) and economic status (p = 0.04). Younger, more educated, and higher-income households were found to be less involved in risk management activities. To improve disaster management practices, there needs to be a stronger emphasis on community ownership and active participation throughout all key phases. In particular, more efforts are required to promote disaster preparedness among households.