by Aviva Imhof, Campaigns Director
The Pascua River
In January 2008, I was privileged to take part in one of the first ever expeditions to the headwaters of the majestic Pascua River. The journey, which involved two days on a bus down the dusty Carretera Austral, an 18-hour boat journey, and two days back, took us to some of the most remote and wild parts of Patagonia, passing by magnificent lakes, spectacular glaciers, the two Patagonian ice caps, and a series of wild and untamed rivers.
HidroAysén, a Chilean-Spanish corporation, wants to construct three dams on the Pascua and two on the nearby Baker River and send the power 1500 miles north to Santiago. Environmentalists in Chile have teamed up with International Rivers and other international organizations to put a stop to their plans. International Rivers organized this expedition to give journalists, activists and local people a first-hand glimpse of what’s at stake. Here’s the story of our journey.
