International Day of Action for Rivers a Huge Success! Check out Pictures!

Public gathering in Pakistan

This past weekend has been packed with actions around the world to commemorate the International Day of Action for Rivers. Numerous groups and organizations have reported back with success stories of their exciting events. So far, we have heard of around 110 actions in around 26 countries.

 

 

 

Pakistan Fisher Folk Forum celebration

The Pakistan Fisher Folk Forum held a colorful celebration at the middle of a waterless and deserted sandy embrace of the Indus River, near the closed gates of the Kotri Barrage. Following a moving speech, hundreds of men and women, wearing multi-colored clothing, made a long zigzag human-chain across inside of the waterless river to demonstrate their solidarity, tribute and love with their beloved Indus River. The event also included discussions, music and dancing.

Turkey was "slammed" by the Water Tribunal, on their dam projects on grounds that the construction would cause severe damage to the environment and displace thousands of people. The tribunal said the government of Turkey should revise its energy policies and incorporate civil society and local communities into decision making. The tribunal also claimed the Brazilian government showed a lack of concern for the environmental threats posed by dam projects on the Madeira River.

Action in Brazil

Additionally, there was a children's gathering and paper boat floating in Bangladesh, prayer ceremonies in Burma, a conference and cultural gathering in Iran, a mass rally of ethnic Kuki's in Dehli and a number of demonstrations, particularly in Latin America. Check out beautiful pictures of these events, as well as many others, in our image gallery.