Flooding Hazards Vulnerability Study: A Case of Jimma City, Oromia Regional state, Ethiopia

Abstract

Natural hazards are the most known catastrophes on the planet earth. They cause devastation on property and loss of human life. Flood is one of the major natural hazards. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change prediction, in the coming years the frequency and intensity of floods expected to increase at an alarming rate. The impact of flooding is very severe in developing countries. Ethiopia is one of the victims of natural hazards, of which flood is the prominent one. Strengthening and raising public awareness of disaster-prone areas is necessary in order to reduce the vulnerability and risks. Community knowledge is very important to improve preparedness and mitigation to reduce impact due to flood. The research is focused on identify the factors contributing flood hazard, to demarcated flood hazard and to suggest the flood mitigation measures. The primary data were obtained through interviewing 399 respondents, but only 367 respondents properly filled and returned were purposively selected based on the distance from the river, condition of drainage, slope and the elevation. Data collected through questionnaire, interview guides and field observation were analyzed by Ms-Excel, using simple descriptive statistical methods such as percentages, charts, and graphs and using Arc GIS (10.3.1 for analyzing the status and dynamics of land use land cover (LULC), slope and topography as a cause for flooding hazards. These driving factors have infrastructure and household equipment damage, health related effects due to contamination of edible items and water pollution and flood hazard induced economic crises on the residents of the case site. Finally the study recommends appropriate strategies to bring flood resilience in the case site such as: sustainable drainage system, control the improper settlement along the river side, appropriate waste collection strategies, to understand of how depths and velocities vary across floodplains and enhancing the local coping strategy of the residents.