SAVE LAKE TURKANA - STOP THE DAMMING OF THE OMO RIVER
Lake Turkana is 250 kilometres long and 50 kilometres across in its widest part. At midday, temperatures can reach 50%uFFFDC, but at night, suddenly, a violent storm can suddenly appear, with lots of rain. It can disappear as quickly as it came. It is said that 10 metres of the water evaporate each year, and it is one of the hottest places in Africa. 10,000 years ago the water level was higher than now, and Lake Turkana was one of the Nile sources, as the Nile crocodiles that live there nowadays prove.
The Kenyan Government must intervene urgently to stop the damming of the Omo River which is the main source of Lake Turkana. Project Gilgel Gibe III as the damming project is called is commission by the Ethiopian Government is a commercial venture aimed at selling electricity to Kenyan Consumers. The Environmental Impact Assesment submitted by the Ethiopian Government is sloppy and incompetent and does not even mention that the Omo River supplies 80% of Lake Turkana's Water. The project continues despite this glaring deficiency. The Assault on the Omo River and Lake Turkana is project to result ina drop of 7-10 metres in the first 5 years alone. The project threatens 20000 Nile Crocodiles, many hippotamus and over 40 different species of fish and snakes. The Riparaian forest, one of the last pristine dryland forests in Africa is also in grave danger. These drastic changes in the lake's ecosystem would disrupt the economic lives of the people residing there and lead to further distabilisation in the conflict torn area.
The threat to Lake Turkana, its environment and its people will have devastating consequences for Kenya in particular. This project will add to the already instable political environment existing.%uFFFDPlease stop the project, get a proper Environmental Impact Assessement done and put the lives of the people above profits.%uFFFDThank you for reading this petition. We hope that your urgent intervention will stop this Environmental disaster.
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