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The conceptual root of vulnerability dates back to the 1970s in social sciences. Vulnerability is a multi-dimensional and determinant precondition for disaster occurrence. Gamo lowlands are exposed to multiple vulnerabilities. The objective of the study was to assess community perceptions and understanding of vulnerability in drought-affected rural Gamo lowlands. A community-based cross-sectional survey design and mixed methods approach were implemented in the study. Four staged multistage sampling was employed to identify respondent households. Into four study sites, sample households were allocated proportionally by lottery method. Data were gathered from 285 lowland rural households. The structured survey questionnaire, KII, FGD, and informal interview were used to collect primary data. Data were analyzed both qualitatively and quantitatively. SPSS version 23 was employed for descriptive statistical duties. 68.1% of households were found at low educational status with 46 years of average age. Locally, people perceive and understand vulnerability as exposure to drought hazard, rainfall inconsistency, the prevalence of human and animal diseases, livelihood insecurity, food shortfalls, poor income, lack of access to market, landholding, and livestock ownership which are schematized by vulnerability perception pathways that delineate its extent. The findings also showed that all households are not equally vulnerable as 96.5% of the studied households stated differential idiosyncrasy of vulnerability. Old aged, small-sized, and female-headed households with no supportive force were found to be more vulnerable. For better resilience, enhancing communities’ perceptions and understanding of vulnerability via continuous awareness creation by all the concerned stakeholders is recommended as the majority were lowly educated.

Purpose The conceptual root of vulnerability dates back to the 1970s in the social science spheres. Vulnerability is a multi-dimensional and determinant precondition for disaster occurrence. The Gamo lowlands are exposed to a wide range of vulnerabilities. Therefore, this study aims to schematize community perceptions and understanding of vulnerability in drought-affected rural Gamo lowlands. Design/methodology/approach A community-based cross-sectional survey design and the mixed-methods research approach were executed. A four-staged multistage sampling was used to identify the respondent households. Into the four study sites, sample households were allocated proportionally by the lottery method. The survey data were gathered from 285 lowland households. The structured survey questionnaire, key informant interview, focus group discussion, and field observations, and transect walks were the tools used to collect the primary data. Data were analyzed deploying both qualitative and quantitative techniques. The Likert scale is used to analyze households’ vulnerability perceptions in which the item analysis approach was used for detailed analysis of the Likert-type items. Findings Locally, people perceive and understand vulnerability as exposure to drought hazard, rainfall inconsistency, the prevalence of human and animal diseases, livelihood insecurity, food shortfalls, poor income, lack of access to market, landholding and livestock ownership which are schematized by vulnerability perception pathways that delineate its extent. The findings also showed that the Gamo lowland inhabitants are unequally vulnerable as 96.5% of the studied households stated the differential idiosyncrasy of vulnerability. Old-aged, small-sized and female-headed households with no supportive force were found to be more vulnerable. Practical implications For better resilience, enhancing communities’ perceptions and understanding of vulnerability via continuous awareness creation by all the concerned stakeholders is recommended as the majority was lowly educated. It also yields input for policy debates and decision-making in the drought-prone lowland setup for building a resilient community. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is an original work pursued by using a household survey with empirical data sourced from drought-prone rural lowland communities.