Civil society says the bill would transform Colombia’s landmark river rights decisions into a national legal framework for protecting, restoring, and governing rivers. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 3, 2026 Bogotá, Colombia – Environmental and social organizations today welcomed the introduction in the Colombian Congress of a 20-article bill – PL 140-2026 – that seeks to…
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International Rivers stands in solidarity with the Affected Citizens of Teesta (ACT) from Sikkim, India, as they renew their demand to permanently scrap the 520 MW NHPC Teesta IV hydropower project on the Teesta river and the 280 MW Himagiri Panan hydropower project on the sacred Rongyoung river. The group recently completed a 4-day foot…
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The Vietnam Climate Defenders Coalition, a group of international and regional human rights and climate justice organizations, welcomes the release yesterday of our friend and colleague, environmental lawyer Dang Dinh Bach, after five years of unjust imprisonment in Vietnam. Bach has shared the following message with his supporters: Hanoi, June 24, 2026 Dear friends, colleagues…
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Vietnam Climate Defenders Coalition This month, on 24 June 2026, Vietnamese environmental lawyer Dang Dinh Bach is due to be released from prison, having served his five-year sentence in full. As that day draws near, we look forward with hope to his safe release and the reunion that awaits him, with his wife, Tran Phuong…
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Introduction In April 2026, International Rivers facilitated a site visit to the Kunene Region in Namibia where the Namibian and Angolan governments are planning to construct the Baynes Hydropower Project on the Kunene River, as well as to locations expected to be submerged by the project’s water reservoir. The delegation was led by Namibia’s Ombudsman…
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“We do not just live near the river; we are of the river. To protect the water is to protect the health, heritage, and future of the Yamaye people.” Healthy, free-flowing rivers have always been critical for people and the planet. From providing fresh water and supporting biodiversity to regulating the climate and sustaining cultural…
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International Rivers, alongside members and supporters of the Vietnam Climate Defenders Coalition, has joined this week in an open letter to the European Commission regarding the recent upgrade of diplomatic relations between the European Union and Vietnam. While the strengthened partnership signals growing cooperation on trade, climate, and energy, the letter raises urgent concerns about…
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I was born by the Magdalena River in Colombia, where I learned to swim as a child – back when I was still smaller than the bagre, the great catfish my family pulled from the water. Each year came la subienda, the great seasonal migration, when millions of bocachico surged upstream together, traveling hundreds of…
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In case you missed it: On March 3, 2026, International Rivers, together with partner organizations, hosted the webinar “From Obsolete Dams to Restored Rivers: Global Lessons for Chile.” Moderated by Juan Pablo Orrego (Ecosistemas), the event brought together diverse perspectives on dam removal as a tool for river restoration in Chile. Speakers included Malen Leubü…
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Across Brazil’s Lower Tapajós region, Indigenous peoples, traditional communities, and civil-society allies are mobilizing to defend the Tapajós River Basin – one of the Amazon’s largest free-flowing freshwater systems and a region critical to biodiversity, climate stability, and the cultural survival of river-dependent peoples. At the center of this movement is Movimento Tapajós Vivo, a…
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Rucalhue Dam is a 90 MW hydro project on the middle Biobío River in Chile, now under construction despite years of community resistance, serious concerns about Indigenous and river rights, and the growing influence of Chinese and US strategic interests over Latin America’s energy and minerals. Around this conflict, new tools and proposals like reservas…
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