KILLING THE OMO’S HEARTBEAT
Half a million people live along the Lower Omo in remote southwestern Ethiopia and around Lake Turkana
in northern Kenya which receives the Omo’s waters. The crops, livestock and fisheries of at least eight
distinct indigenous communities in Ethiopia are supported by the river’s seasonal rise and fall, which
is currently being threatened by the construction of the massive Gibe 3 Dam.
The project’s US$1.7 billion construction contract was awarded without competition to the Italian
construction giant Salini, raising serious questions about the potential for corruption. In addition,
the rights of the communities of the Lower Omo Valley under both Ethiopian and international laws have
been abused, leaving their livelihoods and communities at great risk.
Without adequate mitigation, Gibe 3 Dam will diminish the quality of life for much of the population of
the Lower Omo and Lake Turkana, create hunger, poor health, and food aid dependence, and cause resource
conflicts and a general unraveling of the region’s social structure.
Text: Terri Hathaway
Photography: Brent Stirton
