The Movement For Rivers and Rights

For more than 25 years, International Rivers has helped build an international movement of dam-affected people, social movements, NGOs and academics who work to stop destructive dams and protect rivers and rights.

This global movement has come together for three international meetings: the First International Meeting of People Affected by Dams, held in Curitiba, Brazil, in 1997; Rivers for Life: The Second International Meeting of Dam-Affected People and their Allies, held in Rasi Salai, Thailand, in November 2003; and Rivers for Life 3, held in Temacapulín, México on October 1-7, 2010.

This international movement has become one of the world's most effective international civil society networks, slowing the construction of dam projects globally, building support for the rights of dam-affected people, and promoting better solutions for water and energy needs.

International Rivers has also worked with our partners around the globe to develop a series of regional and national networks of dam-affected people and their allies. The following are just a few of the networks in which we take part:

Africa

A few members of ARN at the Bujagali dam site (2006).

The African Rivers Network (ARN) is a network of dam-affected peoples and NGOs working on river and dam issues on the continent. ARN's purpose is to promote solidarity among member groups; amplify participants' voices in important continent-wide discussions; and promote the recommendations of the World Commission on Dams (WCD), particularly for more participatory methods of dam planning. ARN's first meeting in 2003 began a pan-African civil society dialogue that illustrated the need for a grassroots river-issues network. They have since begun to tackle major regional river-development schemes that would have negative social and environmental effects and inequitable benefit-sharing. International Rivers is an active member of ARN.

Robert Kugonza, Coordinator of African Rivers Network (ARN), is based in Kampala, Uganda. He can be reached by email at robertk [at] nape [dot] or [dot] ug or rnkugonza [at] yahoo [dot] com.

Latin America

The Kayapó get settled at the encampment in Altamira, Xingu Encounter, 2008 (Glenn Switkes)

International Rivers is a founding member of Redlar, the Latin American Network Against Dams and for Rivers, Communities and Water. Redlar is comprised of more than 250 indigenous, environmental, human rights and women’s organizations from 19 countries in Latin America. Redlar works to build alliances between groups and design strategies to confront the threats of hydropower development across Latin America. The network has held four regional meetings, the most recent one taking place in Colombia in July 2008. International Rivers also works with national and regional networks in México, Mesoamerica, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador and other parts of Latin America. Visit our partners page for more on who we're working with on dams proposed for Chile's Patagonia region.

Southeast Asia-Mekong

Thai villagers protest at Chinese Embassy in Bangkok to demand a halt to blasting rapids on the Mekong (SEARIN/Thailand)

In the Mekong region, civil society organizations, academics, and community movements from Burma, Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam have built determined national coalitions committed to defending the region’s rivers. As widespread dam development threatens many rivers shared between countries, these groups also work together in regional coalitions and are joined by a wide network of global supporters. Recently-revived plans to dam the Mekong River's mainstream have been met with unified calls for the river to remain free-flowing. International Rivers works with groups throughout the Mekong region, supporting their efforts to protect its life-giving rivers.

South Asia

Ratan Bhandari of HYPHEN with Narmada children activists (Narmada Children Festival, Feb. 2008)

HYPHEN, the Himalayan and Peninsular Hydro-Ecological Network, was established in 2007 and aims to work on dam projects in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Burma, Bhutan, China, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Hyphen will do research, training, litigation and campaigns for the conservation of Himalayan and Peninsular rivers, coasts, and wetlands, as well as addressing the problem of climate change by promoting community-managed eco-friendly development activities and livelihoods.

In 2008, Hyphen is working on the West Seti, Upper Karnali and Arun III dam projects in Nepal and on the proposed Chalakudy River dams in India. The regional secretariat of Hyphen is based in Kathmandu, Nepal. Contact them at: secretariat [at] hyphenasia [dot] org.