The debate for me isn’t electricity or no electricity for the Gilgel Gibe III Dam in Ethiopia, recently highlighted on the BBC’s Crossing Continents. It is about electricity with appropriate study of the impacts or electricity that makes the same mistakes as similar projects. The key question is: What’s appropriate? Might it be slower? Yes. More costly? In the short-run, for sure; but in the long-run, how can anyone possibly know?
Are these appropriate studies? I have no idea at first glance, but it serves as a very current course/case study. Here’s an advocacy side from International Rivers. I was really curious to see that Facebook also has a flurry of activity on this topic.
And this allows us to consider public consultation, but the radio show clearly highlights that a lot of people don’t feel like they have been heard.
This is a complex story, but very worth exploring. Unfortunately, the key actor, the Italian contractor, isn’t interviewed on the radio program. The report mentions that the World Bank isn’t funding this, but one might ask where the money is coming from.
Anyone who has additional information? Please share!
Bulldozers and Sustainable Development 
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