Ethiopian visitors extend disaster risk- management outreach

Managing risks: Bahir Dar University president Dr Yeshimebrat Mersha Kassa meets senior DVC Prof Thandabantu Nhlapo.

Senior deputy vice-chancellor Professor Thandabantu Nhlapo recently welcomed four visitors from the Bahir Dar University in Ethiopia, here to establish ties with UCT.

The visitors were invited by the Disaster Mitigation for Sustainable Livelihoods Programme (DiMP) as part of an outreach and capacity-building programme aimed at building partnerships with institutions across Africa.

Bahir Dar is the 10th member to join the partnership, which will share disaster risk-management skills and information between institutions. This will allow DiMP (based in UCT's Department of Environmental and Geographical Sciences) and its partners to create awareness in their areas and educate communities to manage their own risks, rather than to rely on outside aid.

The visiting delegates included Bahir Dar University president Dr Yeshimebrat Mersha Kassa, the first female university president in the history of Ethiopia.