Winner: Shiferaw Teklemariam
Nomination: Security
Commissioner, Ethiopia Disaster Risk Management Commission
A significant challenge in disaster warning systems is the failure to effectively communicate critical information to vulnerable populations. This often occurs due to language barriers or inadequate communication channels, leaving entire communities unprepared for natural disasters. Ethiopia, facing multiple threats including droughts, floods, armed conflicts, and economic shocks, is particularly vulnerable. In collaboration with the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, the Early Warnings for All initiative, the UN Country Team in Ethiopia, and the World Bank, a comprehensive analysis was conducted. The analysis focused on enhancing community resilience by improving information dissemination, ensuring critical information reaches all communities, including those with limited access; building local capacity – empowering communities to effectively receive, understand, and utilize disaster warnings; expanding access to resources – providing communities with the necessary tools and resources for disaster preparedness. These efforts have contributed to the development of an inclusive early warning system that better protects vulnerable populations in Ethiopia.
“Inclusive states not only manage to avoid civil wars and high levels of criminality; they also manage to provide basic public goods, such as roads, law and order, and some amount of schooling and basic health care, almost universally.” (“States and Power in Africa”)
