Hydropower and irrigation development in the Omo Valley

Hydropower and irrigation development in Ethiopia’s Omo Valley, exemplified by the Gibe III Dam project, pose severe risks to both social justice and environmental sustainability. The study highlights that unchecked development, without adequate consultation or compensation for displaced communities—primarily agro-pastoralists—could lead to long-term impoverishment, increased morbidity, and mortality. Additionally, planned irrigation expansion threatens to drastically reduce Lake Turkana’s water volume, endangering the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands in Ethiopia and Kenya. The research underscores the urgent need for targeted compensation programs and benefit-sharing mechanisms to mitigate these impacts, emphasizing that proactive measures could reconcile economic development with social equity.

Turton, D. (2018). Hydropower and irrigation development in the Omo Valley [JD]. Antropologia Pubblica, 4(1). https://doi.org/10.1473/anpub.v4i1.127