Michael Irgiena doubts if his ten children will ever be fishermen like him, or have any future living on the shores of the world’s largest desert lake Turkana in the barren border region of Ethiopia and Kenya.
By Luc van Kemenade, Addis Ababa
Lake Turkana, in the barren border region of Ethiopia and Kenya, is home to the Dasanech and Turkana tribes. Michael, a Dasanech tribesman living in a small village in northern Kenya, has been a fisherman for 26 years and, like his fellow tribesmen, he fully depends on the salty lake for his livelihood.
The semi-nomadic desert tribes often fight bloody battles over the region's scarce water and pasture which they use for fishing and cattle grazing. Michael explains that the construction of an ambitious cascade of dams along Ethiopia's Omo river may make life even more challenging for nomads in the region.
“I was shocked when I heard the news about Ethiopia’s dam on the radio,” he says while sitting on his bed in his dusky dome-shaped hut at the shores of Turkana. “What came to mind very quickly was: what about the lake I am fishing in? What about my children?”
Hydropower
In a push for development, Ethiopia is building one of Africa’s largest hydropower dams in the Omo River that flows into Lake Turkana, providing 90 percent of its water. The two billion dollar dam called Gibe III is said to nearly double the East African nation’s power capacity and transform its southern wilderness into highly productive cultivated farm lands, irrigated by the dam’s regulated outflow.
According to the Ethiopian government, the dam will develop the region and end a “backward lifestyle”, transforming its southern wilderness into highly productive cultivated farmland, irrigated by the dam’s regulated outflow. It says that domestic and foreign investors will grow sugar cane and other cash crops on a large-scale in the south, an area known for its numerous indigenous tribes.
Although Michael admits that development would be good for the tribes of Lake Turkana - a drought-stricken area with no electricity and poor infrastructure, he remains cautious and worries that water levels in Turkana will drop. “The water will be too salty, so there will be no fish living in the lake,” he says. “And all the animals we have, all the cattle, will die. If there is no water, there will be no grass.”
For Michael, like many of his fellow tribesmen, loss of fish means loss of work. He also fears that the dam will lead to further bloodshed as the Dasanech and Turkana will be forced to move into neighboring tribes’ territory in search of water and pasture.
Drying up
While Ethiopia denies that its dam will reduce water levels, a group of scholars from the United States, Europe and East Africa shares Michael’s concerns.
In a 2009 study the Africa Resources Working Group estimated that water levels could drop ten to twelve metres drying up fish stocks and drinking water. The United Nations subsequently called on Ethiopia to cease construction of the dam, fearing it would destroy Lake Turkana, listed as a UN world heritage site.
But Ethiopia says there is “no way” that the project will be stopped, claiming its own studies show that Lake Turkana’s water levels would increase and the dam’s regulated flow would put an end to drought and floods.
Like other members of the Dasanech, Michael fears that Ethiopia’s decision to move forward with the project without informing its people will have a negative impact: “If you do something without informing people, you know it will have an effect,” he says. “It would be better if we all sit together and negotiate about what they are going to do for our people.”
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Reading these comments made me be proud of Ethiopia even better. Way to go fellow Ethiopians. We are marching forward holding hands. We are gonna get there sooner than what most expect. We are gonna amuse them.
One Love!!
I have never been prouder of my fellow Ethiopians. And LOL @ The dogs are barking an the camel is walking!!! Good one!
They are willing to eradicate whole towns to make their dams and artificial lakes. They ravaged Africa when they wanted whatever was on it without a blink. They killed the local population to take their lands.
And yet...
when an African wants to stop being labled 'a third world country' and when they say they are tired of 'Africa's problems'and how we should 'sort out own problems'.
and yet again...
when an African nation wants to use it's resources to better itself there is always a glitch that we oversee. Like mentioned above, a fisherman should live and die a fisherman. His children shouldn't dream of a better future.
They cleared the Americas of the native Americans and they said it was for the better of the natives.
One Love !!!
Hay Mr. Luc van Kemenade! You better focus on the ominous crisis in your continent.
Hay Mr. Luc van Kemenade! You better focus on the ominous crisis in your continent.
Hello citizens, I think there is no need to be so emotional about this amateur's opinion about the dam. He is just trying to prove himself "a worthy journalist" by "foreseeing the future danger facing 'savage people'" caused by the Gibe dam and that they may one day be "extinct" by changing their current way of life. Also worried that when he occasionally returns to the lake in 10 or 20 years with his grand children, he may not be able to take photographs of ' savage naked people' with his grand children next to them.
But this is his opinion. It will not affect our determination to build the dam for the benefit of all people in the region. We will build schools, clinics, roads and universities in the area. We will irrigate and cultivate the arable land and we will eradicate poverty and famine from our country and the region. This will not take very long time and we are getting better by the day. Ethiopia shall prosper forever.
I will also want to mention that it is not appropriate to portray the White people as arrogant as a whole. The majority of the White people are very compassionate and loving to other people. Only a very insignificant few have a that bad attitude for others. We have to keep this in mind and be careful when we write such things on public pages such as this one.
Thanks,
We are very determined to eradicate poverty, kenya is a very good friend to ethiopia. We will never do a thing that harms ppl of kenya's. You white ppl, you are the designer of most of the world's war. We had so many fights, even with u, we are tired of it. u don't want to see any developement, ur ambition is to sell ur gun. For ur information ethiopia and kenya had signed a 400 mw power deal. Finaly, u are advised to reduce ur co2 emission to make a little effort in improving the life of that fisherman.
We are very determined to eradicate poverty, kenya is a very good friend to ethiopia. We will never do a thing that harms ppl of kenya's. You white ppl, you are the designer of most of the world's war. We had so many fights, even with u, we are tired of it. u don't want to see any developement, ur ambition is to sell ur gun. For ur information ethiopia and kenya had signed a 400 mw power deal. Finaly, u are advised to reduce ur co2 emission to make a little effort in improving the life of that fisherman.
Luc van Kemenade
what is your point really?Do you want us to continue live in the dark?what a lot of nonsense ..talking with Michael Irgiena a fishermans opinnion ,,,can all of his 10 childeren be a fisherman like him????what is about really?get a life... we will be marching on developing our country with hydero power ...it is not a Neuclear power...get lost with your badly resarched drivel.
The dogs are barking the camel is walking
Ethiopia will die or develop. No third alternative.
what is wrong with you? still u are talking about this. I think u should first reduce co2 that are emitted from your developed nation. then u will get our attention.you are killing billions with your co2 and you look concerned when Africa try to eradicate poverty. Really i learn know there are lot of devils this world. God Bless Africa.
Yonas,
You don't understand these people. They want Michael the fisherman, all of his relatives, his children and grand children to be a fishermen for eternity. They want the Mursi women, who live by the Omo valley to mutilate their lips and put plate on it, so it would amuse Europeans and Americans. They need the tribes, who they call "Pre historic" to be displayed on the cover of National Geographic Explorer magazine for their enjoyment and entertainment. They obviously can't do that, if the area is developed. If Michael the fisherman's life is changed, and if he is educated and does something else better for his life, he will become equal with them. See? That's what they are afraid of. Their tourist attraction and study subjects will disappear. That's what their concern is all about. They also want us to beg them for food all the time, so they could feel better about themselves for being “charitable for poor savages, who have nothing to eat”. If we develop our resources and become self sufficient, we'll take way that from them. That is the reason for all this brouhaha. They don't give a flying freak about the lives that could get better, and the mouths that could be fed, because of this dam. The good thing is we're waken up now. We have very little time and patience to put up with their negativity.
Tariku,
You are exactly right. It is extremely frustrating to see the arrogance of these white people.
Anyway, so long as we are divided and fight amongst ourselves, they will be able to dictate to us. We need to stand together and vanquish our true enemy. Then we can turn inward and fix our country.
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