Local community’s satisfaction, attitude, and mitigation measures towards Amerti Nashe hydroelectric power dam impacts

Hydroelectric dam-based energy supply is critical in supporting development programs in Ethiopia. The construction of these dams, however, has negative and positive implications for the local community. The main objective of this study was to investigate the local community’s satisfaction, perception, attitude, and adaptation mechanisms to Amerti-Nashe dams-induced impacts. The sample consisted of 316 respondents selected from three kebeles in the vicinity of the dams. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to analyze the causal relationships between community perception, satisfaction, and attitude towards the existence of Amerti-Nashe dams. The evaluation of goodness-of-fit indices supported the model, in which the x² test provides that the model generates x² = 553, and df = 110; P = 0.00. The result of the study revealed that community satisfaction with the impact of the dam was closely related to perceived positive and personal benefits from the dam project. Community satisfaction was negatively associated with dam-induced socioeconomic impacts, β = −0.06, P < 0.05. However, the relationships between personal benefits from the Amerti-Nashe hydroelectric reservoir and the latent variable of perceived negative dam impact were rejected due to statistically insignificant results at P < 0.05. The result showed that the negative effects of the dam include a shortage of drinking water, a shortage of grazing land, reduced cropping land, and low production levels, among others. These influence the attitude of the community toward the existence of a dam, directly and indirectly. This implies the local community in the vicinity of these hydroelectric power dams has a negative perception of the existence of the reservoirs due to their adverse impact on their livelihood. Therefore, policymakers need to be aware of these and design mechanisms to ameliorate the situation. The policy decisions concerning hydropower dam-induced impacts at local and national levels require well-thought-out institutions to reduce the adverse impacts of dams.