Environmental and Social Impact Assessment - Gibe III

Gibe III – Environmental and Social Impact Assessment 300 ENV R CS 002 C - A9003099
other side of adjacent weredas. When the project is realised, it will aggravate further the shortage of
grazing land in two counts. Firstly, vast areas of land will be inundated by water resulting in loss of
existing grazing lands. Secondly, the movement of farmers from place to place in search of grazing
is going to be severely restricted by the emerging reservoir; and thus the combination of these factors
will seriously jeopardise the livelihood system of livestock farmers.
Solutions to be considered:
• As a final remark, the participants requested the appropriate government agency to provide
compensation to those who are going to be displaced. Besides, the compensation should be sufficient
enough to cover their losses. They have also requested the Government to construct bridges that link
their wereda with Yem and Omonada-Weredas to serve as important market outlays for the
communities in Soro Wereda.
Place/Venue of the FG: Kebele Office Date: 18/12/07
Wereda: Hamer FGD composition: Kebele leaders and members, and
MDI
Kebele Kara Korcho Number of participants: 25
The PCM members are composed of Kebele leaders and members including MDI representatives. The major
theme of the PCM is:
• To learn and understand the effects that down stream communities would experience following the
hydro electric dam that is going to be built in the upper stream of Omo River; and
• To explore appropriate mitigation measures to avert the adverse effects that might have been
encountered by the newly dam to be set up.
Major outcome of the PCM is summarised in the following manner. It was made known to the consultative
group that:
• The Omo River has always been the lifeblood of the community providing essential water source for
their livestock and crop production.
• Substantial numbers of community members in Hamer use flood plains to grow various crops both
for consumption and for sale.
• They catch fish from the lakes that are filled by flood water for the purpose of household
consumption and for marketing.
The absence of flooding will expose the communities to loss of income. Therefore, mitigation measures like
irrigated agriculture should be introduced and intensified with the aim of crop and fodder production.
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