Rebuilding livelihoods after dam-induced relocation in Koga, Blue Nile basin, Ethiopia

For the past years, Ethiopia has been moving toward making better use of the waters from the Blue Nile. The Koga project is the first new large]scale irrigation scheme in the river basin since the 1970s. The article analyzes the social]economic outcome of development]induced relocation of 500 relocated households, in particular the sub]set which moved to the nearby town. The delay in land re]allocation had left households without livelihood base for much longer than expected and compensation payments were not sufficient to bridge the critical period. Households tended to maintain their social network and memberships in supportive rural associations after relocation but poverty acted as constraint in some cases, especially when households did not find other income generating activities. Housing in town was made difficult due to the need to legalize land exchange arrangements. And it required a common interest (security) to initiate social relations between town dwellers and newcomers.