Protecting rivers and defending the rights of the communities that depend on them

International Rivers Turns 40!

In 1985, a dedicated group of volunteers united around a shared vision to develop a worldwide network to protect rivers and promote just and sustainable energy options. Today, that movement is still going strong. Join us in celebrating the communities and partners who oppose destructive hydropower, protect rivers, and advocate for the rights of rivers and riverine communities. 

Upcoming Events

  • Online Panel: “Letting Rivers Run Free” 

    The prospect of protecting and restoring rivers around the world has never been brighter. Recent victories include successful court cases granting rivers legal personhood, no-go…

    Wednesday, April 23, 2025 Online
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Our Rivers, Our Water Future

Since 1985, International Rivers has been at the heart of the global movement to ensure river-dependent communities’ voices are heard and their rights are respected.

Our Approach

Rivers are the arteries of the earth, supporting the highest rate of biodiversity compared to any other ecosystem and providing for the livelihoods of millions of local, indigenous and traditional peoples. Rivers are also under extreme threat, with less than 10% of the world’s river basins protected.

International Rivers strengthens movements of communities and civil society at the forefront of defending rivers by:

Undertaking investigative research to generate robust data and evidence to inform policies and campaigns.
Remaining independent and fearless in campaigning to expose and resist destructive projects.
Developing a vision that protects rivers and the communities that depend upon them.

Our Impact

0 Number of community groups, movements, and civil society organizations we have partnered with to provide campaign and advocacy support.
0 Destructive river projects delayed or stopped, resulting in millions of people retaining access to their traditional lands and livelihoods.
$ 0 B Funds (USD) channeled away from investment in destructive projects, toward sustainable and just alternatives.
Explore Our Priority Areas

Latest News

A River’s Voice, A Woman’s Courage: Honoring Mariluz and the Marañón

A River’s Voice, A Woman’s Courage: Honoring Mariluz and the Marañón

by Monti Aguirre, Latin America Director of International Rivers In a world reeling from crisis—climate upheaval, collapsing ecosystems, poisoned waters, growing authoritarianism—there are still places and people who remind us what it means to belong to nature. Not conquer it, not dominate it, but live with it. The Marañón River, one of the great arteries…

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River Defender Mariluz Canaquiri Murayari Wins Goldman Environmental Prize

River Defender Mariluz Canaquiri Murayari Wins Goldman Environmental Prize

Peruvian Indigenous advocate receives the prestigious climate justice award for her groundbreaking campaign to secure legal rights for the Marañón River.  San Francisco, Calif.–Today, the Goldman Environmental Prize announced its 2025 slate of winners, including Mariluz Canaquiri Murayari, a grandmother, community organizer, and Indigenous Kukama leader from the Peruvian Amazon. Mariluz led a groundbreaking campaign…

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