Lake Turkana ecosystem: Development for ecology?

The 1980s Norad funded Kalokol Fish Factory on Lake Turkana, and the 1990s Turkwel Gorge hydropower project have not contributed much to the development of these fragile, “voiceless,” marginalised regions and lack of all-encompassing feasibility studies, including cost-benefit studies, have left the locals short.

The Gibe III is the third project in a planned series of five dams on the Omo River.

Gibe I was developed between 1986 and 2004.

About 3,000 people were relocated during the construction of this facility that boasts a production capacity of 420MW.

The Gibe II was meant to use water from Gibe I directed through a 26km tunnel to a steep part of the Omo valley.

Originally scheduled for completion in 2007, it was inaugurated on January 13.

Unfortunately the channel collapsed just 12 days after inauguration.

Work on Gibe III commenced in 2006 even before feasibility studies were conducted or funding secured.

The official explanation was that Ethiopia was faced with “an emergency electricity shortage.”

Ethiopia’s largest project and Africa’s tallest reservoir, planned specifications include a 240m high reservoir, 11.75 billion cubic metre capacity, and 1,870MW power output.

This is more energy than Ethiopia requires.

According to International Rivers, the surplus will be sold to neighbouring countries.

Indeed, in 2006, Ethiopia and Kenya signed a power purchase agreement for 500MW.

Sadly there was no parallel agreement on the use of the Omo and Lake Turkana.

Energy generation will most probably not benefit the immediate marginalised communities.