On 6-7 November 2019 the British Geological Survey led a stakeholder workshop in Addis Ababa entitled ‘From Geohazard Risk to Action in Ethiopia’. The workshop was co-designed and delivered with RiftVolc collaborators including the Institute of Geophysics, Space Science and Astronomy and the School of Earth Sciences of Addis Ababa University, the National Disaster Risk Management Commission (NDRMC), and the Geological Survey of Ethiopia. It was attended by over 140 people representing ministries and commissions of the Ethiopian government, humanitarian and development organizations, the private sector, civil society, international organizations and academia.

There were several critical themes in the workshop that were mapped onto the following objectives:

• Raise awareness of geohazards in Ethiopia and their potential impact on lives, livelihoods and development
• Recognise Ethiopia’s geohazard expertise for disaster risk management
• Support local, regional and national response and action
• Identify how geohazard and risk science can contribute to intitatives to save lives and sustain growth in Ethiopia

In response to the workshop, the NDRMC announced via media interviews that they are now shifting from reactive crisis management to anticipation of geohazards.

There was to be a follow-up workshop in 2020, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic this has not been possible.