Bahir Dar University - Bahir Dar, Ethiopia

Bahir Dar University (BDU) was officially established in 2001 through the combination of two older and smaller academic institutions, Bahir Dar Polytechnic (est. 1963) and the Bahir Dar Teachers College (est. 1972). In just over a decade, the university has become the largest academic centre in the country hosting over 35000 students and offering 57 undergraduate and 39 postgraduate programmes with a variety of faculties, schools and departments.

BDU has a specific unit in the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences that specialises in Disaster Risk Management and Sustainable Development (DRMS) whose focus has been in the field of environmental risk and food security. The DRMS was established in 2005 through a joint partnership between the university, Save the Children Canada and the Ethiopian governments Disaster Risk Management and Food Security section. It was DRMS was formed to meet the identified need to build the resilience of communities in Ethiopia to a range of hazards through strengthened capacity and sustainable development.

The DRMS has also conducted research on the links between disaster risk reduction and climate change, as well as produced research on a wide range of topics from ethnic conflict on livelihood security, to urban fire and flood risk. Prior to joining Periperi U, the DRMS had developed its own undergraduate degree programme in disaster risk management and sustainable development in Ethiopia. Since its inclusion into the partnership, it has expanded its academic programme to include a Master’s Degree programme

• Assessment of Disaster Risks and Indigenous Coping Mechanisms in Ethiopia: The case of Benishangul Gumuz (2012) commissioned by Oxfam, Canada.

• Current Practices and Problems in the Management of Animals in Human Shelters (Refugee Camps) in Ethiopia: the case of Sudan Refugees (2012) commissioned by World Society for Protection of Animals.

Academic Courses

BDU academic programmes include both undergraduate and postgraduate courses which include;

• Bachelor’s programme in Disaster Risk Science & Sutainable Development

• Master’s Programme in Disaster Risk Science & Sutainable Development

Short courses

The DRMS hosts several short courses and training modules on risk reduction and livelihood security which include;

• Introduction to Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) in Urban Areas

• Role of Media in Disaster Risk Management

• Disaster Risk Reduction & Climate Change Adaptation Planning

• Participatory Risk, Vulnerability and Capacity Assessment (PCVA) Workshop and Community led DRM and CC Adaptation Planning