Analysis of rural households’ livelihood vulnerability to natural-hazard risks in the Sile-Sago watershed, Southern Rift Valley Basin, Ethiopia

In Ethiopia, natural hazard threats have an adverse effect on many livelihoods. However, the systematic assessment of rural household livelihood vulnerability to the threats is lacking in the Sile-Sago watershed, which the study seeks to address. A survey was conducted with 299 households chosen using systematic random sampling. The Livelihood Vulnerability-Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Indexes were utilized, with values ranging (0 (least to1 most vulnerable). The Livelihood Vulnerability Index for each district was developed using 14 essential components. The Livelihood Vulnerability Index for each district was derived from 14 essential components. The findings showed that Arba Minch Zuriya district, the lower parts of the watershed, was highly vulnerable to flood hazard risks, with indices of of 0.73, 0.54, and 0.41 for adaptive capacity, exposure, and sensitivity factors, respectively. Geresse district, located in the watershed’s highland agro-ecology, was highly vulnerable to landslide hazard risks, with the respective indices of 0.61, 0.60, and 0.55 for adaptive capacity, exposure and sensitivity. The Zuriya final vulnerability index is 0.22. The Geresse district’s aggregate livelihood vulnerability index is 0.54. Plan to mitigate the livelihood vulnerability of households in the Geresse and Arba Minch Zuriya districts to landslide and flood hazards and enhance their resilience. The targeted interventions and collaborative plans should be developed, coordinating productive safety nets, food security, and agricultural offices across affected households, kebeles, districts, and local government administrations, and non-governmental organizations.