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.
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.
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.
For centuries, Indigenous communities in the Tapajós River basin have fostered a spiritual connection to their river. “The Tapajós River is a precious river. It is a road, a source of life, of drinking and bathing. It is also a provider: There are tracajá, fish, all these animals that are very important to us,” Father…
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By Maureen Harris, Senior Advisor June 24, 2025, marks a grim anniversary: four years since environmental lawyer Dang Dinh Bach was unjustly arrested in Vietnam. Bach’s imprisonment — deemed arbitrary by the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention — is a profound injustice, silencing an important voice dedicated to a more sustainable future for communities…
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