the aquatic life by deteriorating the quality and quantity of a water body. Impacts on Food Availability Because of irregular rainfall and droughts the country is experiencing deficits in food production in several areas, and likely increase in acute weather events, amplified aridity and a decrease in precipitation, range resources and soil moisture will escalate the situation. The availability of food has become a major bottleneck for millions of households in many parts of Ethiopia due to the repeated drought cycles and disparity in rainfall. Agro-pastoral and pastoral households, which are reliant on livestock for their livelihoods, also suffer severe asset losses during droughts. Impacts on Settlement and Infrastructure Climate variability, including extreme events such as storms, floods and sustained droughts, has marked impacts on settlements and infrastructure. Indeed, for urban planners, the biggest threats to localized population concentrations posed by climate variability and change are often expected to be from little-characterized and unpredictable rapid-onset disasters such as storm surges, flash floods and tropical cyclones (Freeman, 2003). Negative impacts of climate change could create a new set of refugees, who may migrate into new settlements, seek new livelihoods and place additional demands on infrastructure (IPCC, 2007). Direct Impact of Floods in Ethiopia Floods in Ethiopia have direct environmental and socio-economic impacts; these include the impact of pollution on the environment and the socio-economic impact of damage to people's homes and economic property. Casualties to People and Property According to statistics, nearly 20,000 families were displaced in Ethiopia in 2016 due to floods and unusual disasters that occurred in various parts of the country. Heavy rains triggered floods and landslides in Oromia and the southern part of the country, resulting in at least 202 deaths. More than 1,000 cattle were also killed and 559 hectares of crops were damaged. Exacerbating the Consequences of Drought The drought and floods of the same year affected almost all sectors in Ethiopia, with the loss of crops and livestock and the impact of reduced water resources being significant. Among them, the Tigray, Afar and Somali regions were severely affected, as the drought caused the death of almost 50% of the livestock in the region and affected 24%, 25% and 21% of the population respectively. Contributing to the Spread of Disease Floods in Ethiopia often lead to infectious diseases, vector-borne diseases, malnutrition, mental health problems and damage to health infrastructure. Floods exacerbate the spread of diarrhoeal