Components of Catastrophe: Social and Environmental Consequences of Omo River Basin Development

The construction of the Gibe III dam and associated agricultural development in the Omo River Basin is projected to drastically reduce river flow and eliminate annual floods, critical for the survival of half a million residents in the lower Omo basin and Lake Turkana region. This would devastate natural resource systems, including grazing lands, flood recession agriculture, and fishing habitats, while exacerbating political repression and displacement of villagers for large-scale commercial farming. Concurrently, pastoralists and fishers along Kenya’s Lake Turkana shoreline face economic collapse due to lake level drops, leading to food insecurity, disease, and potential armed conflict over dwindling resources. The study highlights the severe social and environmental consequences of such development, emphasizing the need for urgent policy intervention.

Carr, C. J. (2016). Components of Catastrophe: Social and Environmental Consequences of Omo River Basin Development. River Basin Development and Human Rights in Eastern Africa — A Policy Crossroads, 75–84. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-50469-8_5