Ethiopian PM: we will build hydropower dams with or without foreign funds
by Tesfa-Alem Tekle
April 1, 2011 (ADDIS ABABA) – Despite growing protests calling for a halt in the construction of massive hydropower projects along the Omo river, Ethiopian prime minister Meles Zenawi, said on Thursday that his country will carry on with the projects with its own coffers if external funds stop.
“We are convinced of with the role of our hydropower projects in eliminating poverty in our country that we will use every ounce of our strength, every dime of money that we can save to complete our program” Zenawi said.
Last week, some 400 organizations from across the world have signed a petition against the construction of Ethiopia’s multi-billion dollar Gibe III Dam project. The petition delivered to Ethiopian embassies across Europe and the US seeks a stop to the project, which is already 40% complete.
The campaigners argue that construction of the dam will devastate the fragile ecosystem of the areas by altering the seasonal flooding of the Omo river and reducing its downstream volume, resulting in the drying out of the land and endangering the lives of 500,000 people along the lower Omo Valley and Kenya’s Lake Turkana.
Zenawi called on developmental partners to continue their support and not to be deterred by what he termed as the campaigns of “environmental extremists” or to risk “millions of Africans to poverty”.
As part of the 5-year growth and transformation plan, Ethiopia plans to build up 8000MW of additional energy capacity from hydropower in the next five years. The Horn of Africa nation aims to increase their energy producing capacity to 15,000MW within 10 years.
Ethiopia on Wednesday officially announced that it will build a huge dam on the Nile River, near the Sudan border, despite concerns that the plan might engage it in a conflict with Egypt.
At a news conference, Water and Energy Minister Alemayehu Tegenu said the US$4.78 billion Nile dam will generate 5,250MW a year.
Ethiopia has plans to spend up to $12 billion in the next two decades to improve the country’s power-generating capability and be a regional power house.
(ST)