Human Rights our Collective Responsibility km down the Omo. This, the Complainants submitted, will result in a reduction in the volume of water of between 57%and 60% in the river, and eliminate much of the riverine forest and woodland on which the Complainants are also reliant. The Complainants also submitted that the water reduction in the Lower Omo will further reduce or eliminate the peoples' access to the river to water their livestock and lead to a decline in fish stocks on which the Kwegus, the Nyangatoms and Daasenachs have traditionally relied. 257. With regard to the Kuraz, the Complainants submitted that the wholesale conversion of the Omo peoples' territory to sugar cane farms could hardly be "satisfactory" for the pastoralists because the sugar plantations have made it virtually impossible for them to pursue their customary way of life. The Complainants submitted that the public health risks associated with large-scale irrigation schemes include the increased transmission potential of vector-borne diseases, and especially malaria, which is already endemic in the lower Omo; the spread of disease agents such as HIV through the influx of large numbers of migrant workers, and the contamination of ground and surface water by factory emissions, fertilizers and crop protection chemicals. The Complainants submitted that in the Awash Valley, below the Koka High Dam, the pollution of water resources by pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers used on commercial farms has been a particular problem for local people who have to use irrigation canals for all their domestic purposes as well as for watering their livestock. And that these problems are extremely likely to recur in the Lower Omo. 258. In response to the Complainants' allegations, the Respondent State submitted that the allegations are for the most part based on fears and assumptions. The Respondent State submitted that it has a robust legal and policy framework on environmental issues that address the rights of its peoples.P The Respondent State submitted that development activities and projects are carried out in strict observance of environmental laws and rules, which if violated may be redress in the courts and through other administrative processes. The Respondent State submitted that the ESIA study on the dam was transparent, participatory and reflective of the concerns of the affected communities. The Respondent State submitted that during the consultation, many of those who participated were more concerned about the impact of the dam on the floods, their access to water for their livestock and fishing.