The Gibe III dam project on the Omo River is a third stage in a five- part dam project currently underway in Ethiopia. Its main goals are:
Increase domestic access to electricity
Export electricity to neighboring countries
To protect the downstream people from seasonal flooding and drought
However, some environmental groups are trying to bring the project to a halt urging western donors and banks to withdraw funding for the dam basically for two reasons,
It will affect the livelihood of the downstream farmers who depend on the seasonal flood
It will destroy the ecosystem
However, we believe that the downstream people who depend on such type of economic activity are at the lowest level of poverty line and there will never be more poverty than what they are currently experiencing. Besides, the destruction of ecosystem is by no measure comparable to the life of human beings. As a matter of fact, no nation has ever developed without affecting the environment. So, we strongly believe that the taming of the river will bring new opportunities.
For a comprehensive and rational essay about this issue, please refer the article by Nathalie Rothschild at http://www.spiked-online.com/index.php/site/printable/8339/
Therefore, we the undersigned: peoples of Ethiopia, friends of Ethiopia and those who have a positive attitude towards Ethiopias development,
Object strongly the campaign against the Gibe III dam project
Ask the international donors and banks to consider funding the project
And therefore demand that:
International Rivers and other NGOs (the Counter Balance Coalition, the Campaign for the Reform of the World Bank, Friends of Lake Turkana and Survival International) to stop immediately their campaign against the Gibe III dam project.