Good news for Ethiopia today

Addis Ababa is exposed to both riverine and flash floods due to river overflow caused by extreme rainfall events and upper catchment activities. Climate change projections show that flood risk will increase in the future due to more frequent extreme rainfalls. The vulnerability to flooding is intimately linked with encroaching housing development along river banks, vulnerable housing material such as mud and wood, and poor drainage systems along roadways. Urban Fire Most parts of the city are exposed to fires caused by, among others, unsafe cooking practices (use of kerosene and open fires) and unsafe electrical wiring. The fire hazard in the city is exacerbated by the density of neighborhoods (mostly informal settlements or slum areas such as Merkato), poor housing quality, and lack of road access and traffic congestion which prevents mobility of people including emergency responders