East Africa : a regional profile

This profile of Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda assesses each country"s disaster vulnerability and preparedness, with special emphasis on related environmental issues. Each section begins with a description of an individual country"s physical geography and natural resource base (soils, vegetation, precipitation, water resources, etc.), followed by an assessment of its national disaster vulnerability. Some of the most common natural disasters in East Africa are drought, floods, and pest infestations. Land degradation (soil erosion and desertification, in particular) is another widespread problem, while two countries - Djibouti and Somalia - face the danger of seismic activity. Moreover, most of these countries have had great burdens placed upon their environments and economies by refugees who have fled from civil strife in Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda, Tanzania, and neighboring nations. Programs addressing these threats are described, including efforts by the host countries, the U.S. government, and international and voluntary organizations. The report also provides country-specific information in other areas of interest to international relief agencies, such as human ecology; nutrition; health, sanitation, and housing; agroeconomy; industrial economy; transportation and logistics; and energy and communications.