"Is The Building Of The Gibe III Dam In Ethiopia Helping Or Hindering Development?"

The building of the $1.8 billion dam, the Gilgel Gibe III dam, in Ethiopia, began in 2006 and has since become an international point of contention. The government has branded this development project as setting the people in the Lower Omo Valley of Ethiopia on the path to development and modernity. However, it has been reported that the dam has lowered water levels and has negatively impacted agriculture...The claims made by the government about the Gibe III dam project counters the narratives told by members of the Lower Omo River Valley community, who are the most heavily impacted by the construction. Over the past few years, students and residents have protested the wide-scale evictions and land grabs all over the country by the government for these development projects that result in mass displacement and the loss of generational assets. The government has been known to use force against demonstrators, killing dozens in 2015, with no inquiry by the state following the tragic incident...

The importance of development projects amounts to more than the actual project itself, and there are important lessons to be learned from the dam construction in the Lower Omo Valley. Taking development efforts seriously, as well as cooperation and communication between the government and the people most affected by these large-scale projects, are critical to finding sustainable and long-term solutions to issues of development. However, until states understand this, meeting developmental ends will be perpetually conflictual.