HELSINKI CENTRE FOR  TRANSBOUNDARY WATERS - PILOT CASE

The project group chose one pilot case to see how the center works in real cases.
The chosen case is a Hydropower dam by Ethiopia on the Omo river which empties to Lake Turkana of Kenya.The hydropower project is on progress and arguments on the project have also continued.

Transboundary countries: Ethiopia and Kenya
Case: Hydropower project
Name: GG-III DAM (Gilgel Gibe 3 dam)
Water resources considered: Omo River, Lake Turkana

Stakeholders:

• Ethiopian government, Kenyan government, Italian government
• Ethiopian electric power corporation (EEPCo), Salini construction, and Kenya Electricity Generating company (KenGen)
• African Development Bank, European Investment Bank, World Bank
• Friends of Lake Turkana (FoLT)
• Environmental groups (NGO’s), International rivers (based in California), Survival international and 
• Downstream settlers                                                                                                                    

What is the argument? 

The Omo River is a significant water resource of southern Ethiopia. Its course is entirely contained within the boundaries of Ethiopia, and empties into Lake Turkana on the border with neighboring country Kenya.NGO’s claim that proper impact assessment studies are not being carried out and the dam will threaten the livelihoods of tribal people and devastate fisheries in Kenya’s Lake Turkana. One of the active environmental groups, International Rivers, argues that the dam could be a development disaster for Ethiopia and the region and it sets preconditions for future international funds and further progress of the project. 

The Ethiopian Electric power corporation (EEPCo) by its official document of environmental and social impact assessments states that the effects on the natural and social environment of the project appear to be negligible due to its geographic location.

EEPCo accuses NGOs of ‘going against the spirit of Copenhagen’ by opposing the project and says they were ‘trying to deprive Africans of the right to electrification. And it says ‘Kenya is the major beneficiary of this project. We are going to supply them with power. They are working on the agreement to provide power right now.’

Though the arguments as well as the hydropower project have still continued, some efforts are being carried out to let all the parties consider each other’s concern and work for the best practical scenario.

 Helsinki Centre's proposal :

 A proposal suggesting how the Helsinki Centre for Transboundary Waters would work in this pilot case by legal facilitation, organizing platforms and by conducting researches and publishing journals.more details of the proposal will be provided on the group's final report.

1. Legal facilitation

Enhancing the initiation for the countries to ratify the UN watercourses convention will be a major task for the centre. If the countries ratify the conventions, since the procedures for dispute prevention and handling are included in the convention, it will provide an acceptable reference to follow. The reference helps to reduce the current stress and the potential of having future water disputes in the region. In addition ,there is no common treaty on the use of the Omo-Turkana water way.

HCTW, in contact and collaboration with the UN waters and African Union, can facilitate the ratifying process for the UN watercourses convention and alternatively support the countries to create a bilateral binding regional agreement. 

2.Platforms

 Organizing seminars, meetings and workshops is an additional alternative task for the HCTW.For instance, the centre can facilitate the process of  Organizing a workshop for Ethiopian Electric corporation to present for discussion the findings from their environmental impact assessment, progress of the project and current situation of the project area.

3. Strengthening the regional monitoring unit

It is mentioned in EEPCo's side that an Environmental and Social monitoring and Management Implementation Unit is established in the region by Ethiopia. HCTW can get itself informed of the current status of the unit and support the effort by proposing better strategies to strengthen the unit. One way to list a few actions can be:

• To find information from the Ethiopian ministry of water resources and identify institutions for consulting the unit with data services and research.
• To suggest and find the possibility of upgrading the unit to include officials or professionals from the two countries 

4.   Research + journal

After going through the background situation of the pilot case the HCTW will be able to choose a valuable research topic in the area. For instance, to study the environmental and social impact, the centre can contact and work with research groups in Arba Minch University (regional institution of Ethiopia), Kenyan professionals and experts from the Finnish water forum. Then results of the background study and conducted research can be published on the centre’s journal. The publication will include implications of the results and alternative actions, which may help to preserve the livelihood.