‘Land Grabbing’ in Gambella: Is there Land and Water

Available for All?

Ana Elisa Cascão / Gonçalo Mota

Center of African Studies – IUL [ISCTE/IUL]Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI)

GAMBELLA – History of resource-based conflictsGAMBELLA – History of resource-based conflicts

Gambellaregion

The setting• Marginalised and underdeveloped region• Political instability• Federal/regional complexity• Population movements• Spillover effects from Southern Sudan• Distorted local economy/agriculture

The competition(s)• Competition for land and water – farmers,

pastoralists, new comers• Problematic land tenure• Patterns of cooperation and conflict• Competition for political power• Instrumentalisation of identity politics

The environment?

GAMBELLA – The environmentGAMBELLA – The environment

Vast water supplies and fertile landBut...

• Increasing ecological degradation/deforestation• Increasing pressure over riverian areas

• Potential land grabbing

Baro River

Akobo River

Sobat River

Gilo River

White Nile River

Marginalisation despite resourcesMarginalisation despite resources

• Marginalisation in the Ethiopian contextMarginalisation in the Ethiopian context• Sparsely-populatedSparsely-populated• Resources: forests, natural park, wildlife, gold and other Resources: forests, natural park, wildlife, gold and other

minerals, and very likely oilminerals, and very likely oil

• ... and land and water... and land and water

The myth of the ‘virgin land’The myth of the ‘virgin land’

Alwero projectAlwero project

Cotton fields

Cotton fields

VillagisationVillagisation

Mengistu (1980s): ‘we will resettle 1.5 million people in the virgin lands of southern Ethiopia’

Mengistu (1980s): ‘we will resettle 1.5 million people in the virgin lands of southern Ethiopia’

Meles Zenawi (2011): “We do not want to admire the virgin beauty of our land while we starve”

Meles Zenawi (2011): “We do not want to admire the virgin beauty of our land while we starve”

2000s: new race to the ‘virgin lands’ of Gambella?

• First visit to Gambella (2007): if there is so much land and water available, why it is not being developed?

• Remoteness of region• Risky environment for investment

because of conflict in Southern Sudan and in Gambella itself

• Plenty of interest for the region by Al-Amoudi: for agriculture development, for the timber, for the gold, etc

• Constantly blocked by the regional government

• ‘Passive resistance’

2008: The global ‘tipping point’2008: The global ‘tipping point’

• Spikes in global food prices (and fuel) – race for FDI • Ethiopia: attractive fertile land + urgent need for

foreign investment

Public ownership of land as a ‘trojan horse’ of PM Meles Zenawi

(despite liberal trends or customary land rights)

‘Land as an economic asset’ (commercial, diplomatic relations, foreign

currency)

Solution: Leasing contractsSolution: Leasing contracts• Long-term land leases (50 to 100 years)• Cheap land: at a price of less than USD 2 per hectare/year• Low taxes• Access to fertile land• Sometimes even access to existing infrastructures (e.g. Alwero Dam)• Free access to the water resources ((KEY)KEY)

• Long-term land leases (50 to 100 years)• Cheap land: at a price of less than USD 2 per hectare/year• Low taxes• Access to fertile land• Sometimes even access to existing infrastructures (e.g. Alwero Dam)• Free access to the water resources ((KEY)KEY)

GAMBELLA(since 2009):

1 million hectares, nearly a quarter of

its farmland, to 896 companies

GAMBELLA(since 2009):

1 million hectares, nearly a quarter of

its farmland, to 896 companies

Two main agri-business projects Two main agri-business projects

Saudi Star/Saudi Star/Al-AmoudiAl-Amoudi

Location: Location: Alwero/Abobo, Alwero/Abobo, irrigation potentialirrigation potential Size: Size: 10,000 ha10,000 haProduction: Production: Mainly riceMainly rice

Impacts? Impacts? Trade-offsTrade-offs

KaruturiKaruturi

The company: world's top 25 agri-businessesLocation: Baro banksSize: 100,000 ha(and further 200,000 ha)

Production: Palm oil (20,000), Sugar cane (15,000), 40,000 ( rice and cereals)

Impacts? many

‘‘Land Grab’ or Development Opportunity?Land Grab’ or Development Opportunity?

Water for all?Water for all?• Increasing deforestation, in particular of the river banks• Impacts on ecological balance and wildlife• Impacts on the soils of water-intensive agriculture [e.g. erosion]• Impacts on water allocation

[agriculture/pastoralism/environment/downstream]

Thanks!Thanks!ana.cascao@siwi.org