Policy and practice recommendations on flood risk management in the Awash basin by Taye, MT, Haile, AT, Dessalegn, M, Likimyelesh, N, Bekele, TW, Nicol, A, Dyer, E, Tekleab, S

“…Key points emerging from this analysis are as follows:<br> -Unusual rainfall in terms of location, magnitude, and timing was the major cause of flooding in 2020<br> -The 2020 flood was characterized by early onset, delayed recession and larger extent of floods<br> -Although the initial trigger was extreme rainfall, many non-climate drivers contributed to and exacerbated flooding, as well as the range and intensity of impacts on communities<br> -The impacts of flooding vary across groups within communities-Variation in type of flooding and differential impacts requires contextualized interventions <br><br> Recommended action points for practitioners and policy makers:<br> -Institutional design to facilitate coordinated management and response to floods<br> -Collaboration on operational guidance and improvement in flood early warning<br> -Revision of studies on the Awash based on recent science and data<br> -Implement web-based systems for data and information sharing including “data-free-of-charge” policy for researchers and research-users<br> -Integration of indigenous knowledge into flood risk preparedness and research -Gender-responsive interventions are critical-Inclusion and strengthening of Awash flood-related research themes in universities’ water-related programs…”