Main impacts of Gibe 3

The dam, if not stopped, will cause food insecurity, chronic hunger, poor health, food aid dependence, conflicts among the local communities for the control of the already scarce natural resources and a general unraveling of the economy and social safety net throughout the all region. Less than 100 people were consulted in the Lower Omo Valley, and only after construction began. In Kenya, consultation have only begun in 2009, after complaints to a possible project funder.

In Ethiopia


1. Elimination of the annual Omo flood will eliminate food crops of 100,000 indigenous farmers living in the Lower Omo Valley who plant seeds each year along the fertile river banks as the flood waters recede.
2. The elimination of the annual Omo flood will affect an additional 100,000 tribal people in the Lower Omo Valley in two ways. First, it will reduce grazing lands available after the flood which local herders rely on to help feed their livestock during the dry season. Second, surplus food from the river bank harvest and from livestock are sold in the local markets and traded between tribes, which contributes to the local food security.
   
3. The reduction of fertile lands used for crops and grazing is expected to increase tensions and conflict amongst these communities, threatening progress made over years of peace building efforts.
4. The dam's 150 km long reservoir will create a perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes, increasing malaria. The reservoir will also displace the land and resources of 3,400 additional people and drown several sacred sites.

In Kenya


5. The dam will reduce the Omo River's flow into Lake Turkana, causing the lake to drop up to 10 meters.
6. Reducing the lake's inflow will critically alter the ecosystem, affecting 300,000 people in three ways. First, the lake's salinity will increase, making this local water supply undrinkable. Second, the increased salinity will harm the lake's biodiversity, making it unliveable for many species. This will particularly harm the local fishing industry, which directly supports 100,000 local people. Third, the impacts to the fishing industry will affect food security and local economy for 300,000 Kenyans.