Abstract

This article tried to question the viability of the impoverishment risks and reconstruction (IRR) model in assessing all risks development projects like dams brought to affected communities. It argued that in some cases the model fell short of showing exhaustively all risks communities faced as a result of grand development projects like dams. Taking the case of Tekeze dam in Ethiopia, it unearths some of the risks the model overlooked pertaining to the analysis of risks caused by dam-induced displacement and resettlement. Overlooked risks taken from the case of the Tekeze dam construction included: cattlelessness, constrained community mobility, loss of resilience, constrained access to education, and loss of aspects of human rights.

Key words: Overlooked risks, IRR model, cattlessness, resilience, dam.