Mega-dam to test AfDB’s will

The project’s closed-door, no-bid contract could be swindling the government out of a far more cost-effective deal. Sufficient environmental and social mitigation have not been included in the project’s cost.

Poor planning is already leaving Ethiopia in the dark, as two other dams have encountered construction delays due to problems which should have been detected during project preparation.

Ethiopia will soon depend on hydropower for well over 90 per cent of its electricity, but drought and climate change will make this a risky energy portfolio.

The project has already triggered two complaints to the AfDB’s investigative unit, after more than four months of questions to Bank staff produced little results.

The Bank is close to fumbling what could be its greatest opportunity so far to demonstrate its regional leadership.

In order to redeem itself, the Bank will need to halt its efforts to navigate the project’s discrepancies through procedural loop holes, and start making efforts to ensure that the project’s weaknesses are addressed head on.

As the Bank takes on a leading role in larger and more costly dams and other infrastructure, it should raise the bar on its standards for sound project preparation and due diligence.

Ms. Angelei is the coordinator of Friends of Lake Turkana based in Turkana.

Ms. Hathaway is the Africa programme director of International Rivers and is based in Cameroon.