International Rivers regularly publishes and distributes print materials
with the purpose of informing and educating the public about issues
related to rivers and dams. All of our materials are available for free,
and can be downloaded from our website and reprinted without
restriction.
Featured Publications
World Rivers Review
River ecosystems are in trouble, which means we’re all in trouble. This
special issue of World Rivers Review focuses on biodiversity and rivers.
The cover story by a team of diverse scientists lay out the global scope
of the crisis affecting rivers. Interviews with prominent scientists
describe what’s at stake, and what’s being done to conserve our rich
heritage. It’s an informative package that we hope will help raise
awareness and understanding, and spur action. |

Congo's Energy Divide Rather than improve its citizens' access to electricity, the Congo's government plans to provide electricity from the rehabilitated power grid and new dam projects for mining and exports to South Africa and other countries. The rehabilitation's slow pace, ballooning costs and emphasis on energy exports raise serious concerns that it will only perpetuate Congo's great energy divide. |
Brazil Eyes the Peruvian Amazon
The Peruvian Amazon is a treasure trove of biodiversity. Its aquatic
ecosystems sustain bountiful fisheries, diverse wildlife, and the
livelihoods of tens of thousands of people. White-water rivers flowing
from the Andes provide nutrients to the Amazon
mainstream. But this naturally wealthy landscape faces an ominous
threat. |
Protecting Rivers and Rights: The World Commission on Dams Recommendations in Action
The most comprehensive guidelines for large dams that protect the rights
of river-dependent communities were outlined by the World Commission on
Dams (WCD) in 2000. This briefing kit explores six broad principles
covered by the WCD, which encompass basic values of human rights and
sustainable development that are essential to minimizing the negative
impacts of large dams. It also provides concrete examples of where and
how they have been applied, and what happened when they were ignored. |
China's Three Gorges Dam: A Model of the Past
The Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River is the world's largest and
most controversial hydropower project. The 660 kilometer-long reservoir
displaced 1.3 million people and is wreaking havoc on the environment.
The reservoir reached its final height in 2009, but many of its impacts
are only now becoming apparent. China will deal with the project's
legacy for generation. |
Belo Monte Fact Sheet
The Brazilian government is planning to build what would be the world's
third largest hydroelectric project on one of the Amazon's major
tributaries, the Xingu. Belo Monte would divert the flow of the Xingu
River and devastate an extensive area of the Brazilian rainforest,
displacing over 20,000 people and threatening the survival of indigenous
peoples. |
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To order hard copies of select publications email berklee [at] internationalrivers [dot] org.