Commentary: Kenya & Ethiopia should ensure Gibe III hydro-electric power dam construction does not make Lake Turkana extinct, endangering livelihoods
"Lake Turkana: A lifeline in danger of running dry"
The World Bank recently took a swipe at the dispirited manner in which Kenya and Ethiopia are handling the risk of Lake Turkana drying up following construction of a hydroelectric dam in Ethiopia. Lake Turkana — the world’s largest desert lake — is at the risk of going extinct in coming years should there be no strategic interventions. This is as a result of Ethiopia constructing the Gibe III hydro-electric power dam along River Omo, from where the lake receives in excess of 80 percent of its freshwater. Despite glaring extinction risks around the lake, which is a Unesco heritage site, both sides appear disengaged from the issue. To highlight the attendant distress, Unesco included Lake Turkana to the list of endangered world heritage sites in June 2018.
Apparently such a drastic move has not been enough to trigger the two neighbouring governments into action as a matter of urgency. It is precisely why the World Bank has brought up the matter now lest it gets buried in the short-term as focus gets directed to other things and only to resurface later as a dry lake. Beyond being a big source of livelihood to surrounding fishing villages, the lake plays a crucial ecological role through its regional cooling effect. It is highest time the two governments go back to the negotiating table as a matter of urgency and agree on a strategic way to prevent a looming natural disaster...
As a country, we should not wait for such fallout to act. It is much easier to fix the situation early to avoid deploying resources much later. Lake Turkana is among Kenya’s strategic water towers and should be treated as one.