Climate Change

A Risky Climate for Southern African Hydro

The 13 major sub-basins of the Zambezi River Basin.
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
An in-depth study of the hydrological risks to hydropower dams on the Zambezi River gives an early warning about what Southern Africa could be facing as it contemplates plans for more large hydropower dams in a time of climate change.

Climate Change and African Rivers

Hydrodependency in Africa: Risky Business
Hydrodependency in Africa: Risky Business Africa has been deemed “the continent most vulnerable to the impacts of projected climate change” by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The continent has one of the most volatile water systems on the planet, and its rivers routinely experience wild swings in flow. For example, variation in the Zambezi River is estimated to be ten times higher than that of most European rivers. This situation will only worsen with climate change. Despite this hydrological risk, thousands of megawatts of hydropower are being proposed for Africa's

Climate Change, Rivers and Dams: A Video Exploration

Lake Mead July 2008
This toolkit includes a lesson plan that features a 20-minute video called "Wrong Climate for Damming Rivers, which uses Google Earth to visualize what might happen to the world's major rivers when climate change and the current dam-building boom collide. Students will be encouraged to think critically about the role of dam-building in a changing global environment from a systems-level perspective, at times taking on the role of different stakeholders to understand the complexity of the problem. This toolkit includes the video, extension ideas, and links to additional resources.

Toolkit for Educators: Climate Change, Rivers and Dams

Glacial lakes in Bhutan
International Rivers has created a toolkit, Climate Change, Rivers and Dams: A Video Exploration, for educators and community leaders around the issue of dams, rivers and climate change. This toolkit includes a lesson plan that features the "Wrong Climate for Damming Rivers" 3-D Google Earth video, which uses Google Earth to visualize what might happen to the world's major rivers when climate change and the current dam-building boom collide. This toolkit also includes the video, extension ideas, and links to additional resources. Available in English, Spanish and Portuguese.

World Bank, Climate Change and Energy Financing: Something Old. Something New?

Friday, April 15, 2011
In April, 2011, we co-authored a report with Groundwork and Friends of the Earth on energy financing at the World Bank, titled "World Bank, Climate Change, and Energy Financing: Something Old. Something New?". Read the report below, and download the report at the link that follows. Download the report (courtesey of Scribd)

Investigative Report Exposes Fraudulent CDM Hydropower Project in China

Thursday, November 25, 2010
Investigative Report Exposes Forced Evictions and Fraudulent Claims at Chinese CDM Hydropower Project A field visit by Germany's GEO Magazine finds that the Taijiang Yanzhai Hydropower Project located in Guizhou province, China, does not deserve to receive carbon credits through the UN's Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). GEO Magazine found that the project does not result in real greenhouse gas emission reductions and also violates the rights of the local population. Local dam-affected farmers assert that they were forcibly evicted from their homes. The Project Design Document (PDD)

Hydrodependency in Africa: Risky Business

Thursday, September 9, 2010
From September 2010 World Rivers Review The world gets about 20% of its electricity from hydropower, but in Sub-Saharan Africa that number is 60% (excluding coal-heavy South Africa) – and many countries get more than 80% of their electricity from dams. Drought-caused blackouts are common, and expected to get worse with climate change. Hundreds more dams are being planned, many of them in already dangerously hydro-dependent regions. This map shows the current status of hydrodependency across the continent, and plots some key proposed dams in these places. Finally, we include some informat

Hydro Developers Continue Efforts to Rip-Off the Climate

Bujagali Falls
Wed, 09/08/2010 - 2:14am
Bujagali Falls In the past month, International Rivers has submitted comments on the applications to the Clean Development Mechanism for two nasty hydro projects: Bugajali Dam in Uganda, and Bonyic Dam in Panama. Our local partners have been active in opposing these projects on environmental and social grounds. Like most, if not all, of the 749 large hydro dams that have been approved to sell CDM carbon offsets, or have applied for approval, these dams will be completed regardless of receiving carbon credit income. They therefore should be ineligible for the CDM, which requires projects to

Floods in Pakistan: Lend a Hand and Learn a Lesson

Exodus in Punjab.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Exodus in Punjab. Action Aid The floods that are currently ravaging Pakistan have created a human tragedy beyond imagination. At least 1,600 people have lost their lives, 20 million people have been affected, and 4 million people have been left homeless. Many families have lost their whole existence – their homes, fields, crops and cattle – overnight, with no safety net to fall back on. The floods have also washed away schools, health centers, roads and bridges. Pakistan's civil society and international aid agencies are doing their utmost to bring relief to the victims of this trage

Civil Society Letter to the World Bank on Large Hydropower

Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Ms. Kathy Sierra Vice President, Sustainable Development Network The World Bank 1818 H Street NW Washington, DC 20433 Dear Ms. Sierra, As the World Bank Group develops its Energy Strategy, we are concerned that the Bank's pledge to increase support for large hydropower projects will result in increased poverty and irreversible social and environmental damages. A decade after the release of the World Bank-supported World Commission on Dams (WCD) report, the evidence continues to mount that large dams bring significant and unmitigated costs to society and to riverine ecosystems: The UN'

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Belo Monte Controversy Featured in Damocracy

Belo Monte Controversy Featured in Damocracy