Post-Project Environmental Effect and Its Restoration Practice of Hydropower Project Construction Sites: The Case of Gibe Iii Hydropower Project Site
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Date
2021-01-20
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Environmental issues are becoming a global agenda demanding integrative approach, while planning and implementing development projects regardless of their type, size and scope in any country. The purpose of this study was identifying the post-project environmental effect of construction and restoration activities in “GIBE III Hydroelectric Dam Project” site. To this end, the exploratory survey research design was employed. Samples of 112 households were selected representing residents around the project area for survey questionnaire. For interview purpose, top community elders, coordinators and management staffs in the Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation Project Offices were selected purposively. Self-developed questionnaire was used for the collection of quantitative data which assesses the impact and restoration practice. It includes five items designed to assess the impact on ecosystem, natural resource, and public health in the study area. The study used relative importance index as analytical tool. On the other hand, qualitative data were analyzed using narrative method and triangulation of findings from both sources was done at the interpretation phase. The results indicate that 70.5% of the respondents believe that public health & sociocultural effect evidently observed as a result of the dam construction activities. The findings also identified three major priority areas with top importance indexes. Accordingly, impact on human health is the first top priority with overall relative importance index (RII=0.70) including HIV/AIDS & STI (RII=0.876), drug addiction (RII=0.739) and bad smell with RII= 0.478 as specific item of human health factor. The second most important item is ecosystem effect with overall relative importance index (RII= 0.69) while deforestation with (RII= 0.898), soil erosion (RII=0.798), loss of wildlife (RII=0.676) & loss of biodiversity with (RII=0.555) are considered as specific items. The third most important item with overall relative importance index (RII=0.59) is natural resource impact comprising dangerous excavation (RII=0.796), loss of aesthetic value (RII=0.583), over extraction of materials (RII= 0.514) and change of landscape (RII=0.450) as sub category. Thus, this study suggests that the project needs to set integrated plan prior to implementation of the project.
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Keywords
Development, Post-Project, Environment, Effect, Electric Power, Corporation