Dam If You Do, Dam If You Don’t
DEVELOPMENTS
Pieces of rock from a dynamited boulder fly all over. An army of excavators, bulldozers, loaders, and scores of heavy machines dig through the giant Omo gorge in Southern Ethiopia near the Kenyan border. Several trucks haul away dirt. At the helm of this massive project is the Italian company, Salini Construtorri — a global contractor with vast experience in Ethiopia — which has recently built two large hydro-electric dams in the country. When finished in 2013, the 1870 megawatt (MW) Gibe III dam will double Ethiopia’s power generation capacity, while some of the water in the reservoir will irrigate scorched fields. Through the clouds of dust in the Omo gorge, the impoverished country sees a prosperous future that includes lifting itself out of abject poverty.
The project, however, has its detractors. Environmental activists, such as the Kenyan paleontologist Richard Leakey, argue that the Gibe III will upset the ecosystem by reducing the flow of water to Lake Turkana, located between Ethiopia and Kenya. They also warn that the livelihood of over 200,000 people in the area will be affected as a result. The European Investment Bank, the World Bank, and Africa Development Bank responded to these concerns by withholding funding, despite assurances that effort has been made to minimize adverse environmental impacts of the Gibe III –soon to be the largest dam in Africa. Regardless, the Ethiopian government sought alternative funding sources, and continues construction at a cost of close to two billion dollars.
BACKGROUND
Long known as the “water tower” of Africa for the many rivers that drain its high mountains, Ethiopia still struggles to feed its population of 90 million with rain-fed agriculture. Frequent droughts and over-cultivated and eroded highlands continue to stunt the development of this country. The majority of Ethiopians lack access to electricity, potable water, health facilities, education, and other basic infrastructure. Although steadily improving, per capita income and GDP are among the lowest in the world.
Ethiopia has been ruled by a monarchies claiming descent from Israeli royalty. Under centuries of the feudal system, the majority of the land was divided by the reigning king, the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, and the aristocracy. This restrictive land tenure changed only in 1974, when the last of the emperors, Haile Selassie I, was deposed by a pro-Soviet military junta that decided to quickly distribute large tracts to smallholder farmers, who previously had worked as serfs. Unfortunately, misguided policies of the military government and vast environmental degradation exposed Ethiopia to devastating famines.
Meles Zenawi’s current government has adopted a different strategy, prioritizing rural area development. Extensive road networks, schools, colleges, and clinics have been constructed. A construction boom, mostly of homes by Ethiopia’s rather large immigrant population in the US and Europe, added yet another challenge to the country’s infrastructural capacity. As a result of these factors, Ethiopia faces a huge power deficit at present, while power consumption grows exponentially at a rate of twenty five percent every year — a fact that has made brownouts as common as shortages of rainfall.
In order to satisfy a growing domestic demand, the government devised a plan to construct a series of dams — some of which have already begun generating power. Over the coming ten years, the country aspires to develop its power generation capacity fifteen-fold. In addition, the country hopes to export electricity to neighboring countries like Sudan, Kenya, Djibouti, and even its geo-political rival Egypt, by tapping into its 45,000 MW hydro-electric potential. Gibe III is one of many dams that will be constructed primarily to produce electricity and for irrigation, too.
Groups like Survival International, International Rivers, Friends of Lake Turkana, and others contend that Salini Construttori and Ethiopian authorities did a sloppy job at best with environmental impact studies. They warn that the dam, in its present design, will be disastrous and that it should be stopped immediately. Friends of Lake Turkana, for instance, posit that the dam will reduce the water flow into the lake by ten meters and salinity will increase, making the water unhealthy for drinking. The Africa Resources Working Group (ARWG), an independent group of consultants contracted to conduct an environmental impact study, concluded that Gibe III may lower the flow into Lake Turkana by up to sixty percent.
ANALYSIS
The precarious future of fossil oil, compounded by population explosions in the developing world, will undoubtedly force countries to look for alternatives. Imports are already too expensive for countries in Africa, draining much of their revenues and threatening food security. In this context, it is not at all a surprise that countries like Ethiopia find it crucial to find alternative and renewable energy sources. It is also true that these poor nations may not have the experience or resources to focus on environmentally sound projects. International funding is often challenging to obtain–a reality that forces African governments to choose easier loans or grants from countries whose contractors maintain questionable reputation for construction quality.
Whereas environmental groups are right to challenge projects that could be detrimental to the ecosystem, they seem to focus more on criticizing the projects and their flaws. They often leverage their moral capital, especially when projects affect indigenous minorities that are underrepresented politically. These groups lobby international organizations, attempting to block funding and other assistance. A more productive approach, however, is a functional partnership among environmental groups, financial institutions, and governments, from planning to implementation. In a larger scheme of things, hydroelectric power fits squarely within green economy strategies – although often at a cost. The way out is through dialogue and close collaboration.
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Mohammed Hamid Mohammed is the Africa Regional Editor of Foreign Policy DigesT
