Field Report from Lake Turkana

Date: 
Monday, June 21, 2010

The people of the Turkana region in northwestern Kenya are in a fight and the future of their unique cultures. Our recent visit to the region revealed that communities around Lake Turkana are saying no to the Gibe 3 Dam, and standing together to take action to protect the lake.

The lake is the best defense against hunger and conflict for 300,000 people who live in the parched region. This fragile oasis is the heart of an isolated world where traditional lifestyles are unraveling in the face of climate change and the resulting reduction in natural resources. The Gibe 3 Dam threatens to destroy the Lake Turkana ecosystem and further unravel the fragile safety net for these communities.

  • Watch Resisting Gibe 3: Voices of Lake Turkana – a multimedia presentation from our March 2010 field visit.

The campaign to stop the dam has heated up, both locally and internationally. Some highlights of recent actions:

  • In January 2010, Lake Turkana communities demonstrated against Gibe 3 Dam. The resulting media coverage brought widespread national and international attention to the struggle.
  • Local NGO Friends of Lake Turkana filed a lawsuit in Kenya to stop their government from purchasing power from Gibe 3 Dam.
  • In Italy, demonstrators protested their government’s support for Gibe 3.
  • Italian and Kenyan activists presented the Italian government with nearly 12,000 signatures on a petition calling for the dam project to be stopped.

We know from our visit to affected communities that they are buoyed by the international support for their campaign to save Lake Turkana. Together, we can stop Gibe 3 Dam. Join us!

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