GIBE III DAM CONSTRUCTION SEES INCREASED RESISTANCE

Environmentalists and stakeholders in the tourism sector have continued to sound alarm over the controversial Ethiopian dam under construction on the lower part of river Omo. According to the stakeholders the damming will cost the Kenyan economy billions as the lake recedes over 50 kilometers affecting breeding sites for fish and crocodiles as well as Flora and Fauna at the Sibiloi national park. Several world heritage sites are also threatened. It is a project that will benefit both Kenya and Ethiopia supplying much needed energy for the industrialization of the 2 countries. The Gibe 3 hydroelectricity dam that is 243m high will be the largest hydroelectric plant in Africa with a power output of about 1870 MW of which 500MW will benefit Kenya under a power purchase agreement. However this dam poses far reaching dangers to the population as well as the flora and fauna dependent on Lake Turkana. With environmentalist projecting that the lake could recede by up to 50 kilometers. “We foresee a lot of conflicts in future as the neighbouring communities fight for water” Abdulkarim Mohammed, Curator at the Koobi Fora Museum. The area around Lake Turkana is known as the cradle of mankind following the numerous discoveries of the ancient man. Apart from the danger on the sites Sibiloi national park which is largely dependent on the lake for watering of the wild animals could also lose its capability to support its diverse wildlife. “This is also the breeding site for crocodiles and fish and supports the Gravy zebra, Oryx, Leopards and many birds,” Abdulkarim Mohammed, Curator at the Koobi Fora Museum. And with the Kenyan government having maintained its silence over the matter with reports that the national environment management agency might have never carried out an analysis the stakeholders have turned to the United Nations educational, scientific and cultural organization’s for intervention. But with the project just months away from commissioning, the sun might soon be setting on man’s original home, Lake Turkana taking with it many species as collateral damage as the region industrializes.