This October, the world’s largest nature conservation forum will convene in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates from October 9 to 15. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) World Conservation Congress meets only every 4 years and brings together decision-makers from governments, civil society, Indigenous Peoples’ organizations, academia, and the private sector to set the agenda for conservation – for better or worse.
For the first time, International Rivers will be attending the Congress as a new member. We joined IUCN this year because we believe rivers and the communities who depend on them must be at the center of conservation and climate discussions. As the climate and biodiversity crises intensify, it is essential that rivers are recognized not only as ecosystems to be managed, but as living entities with rights, value, and agency, and that the communities that have long defended them are their rightful stewards.
We’re heading into the Congress with three priority areas in focus: advancing motions to protect rivers and communities, contributing to critical panel discussions, and raising the alarm to stop one of the most destructive dam projects currently on the table.
Advancing Motions to Protect Rivers and Communities
IUCN’s motions process is where members collectively set priorities for global conservation. Members can put forth motions that they would like to have discussed and voted on during the congress ahead of time, and below are two that we are paying special attention to:
- Motion 54: Operationalising the rights of nature through their implementation in territories. This motion focuses on making the Rights of Rivers (RoR) a concrete framework within IUCN. For years, International Rivers has championed RoR approaches that recognize rivers as legal entities, and we’ve already seen progress on the ground. For example, earlier this year we published a report on the Tapajós River in Brazil, highlighting how Rights of Rivers frameworks can protect biodiversity while securing Indigenous and local communities’ futures. Read more here.
- Motion 67: Living in harmony with rivers through the rights of nature and ecocentric law. This is a global fight: from South America to South Asia, communities are defending rivers against pollution, extraction, and destructive dams. Advancing this motion is about elevating those struggles to the global stage. Our team helped develop this motion, working alongside partners to ensure river protections are grounded in community rights and ecologically-sound legal approaches.
Together, these motions represent a major opportunity for IUCN to commit to protecting rivers not just as resources, but as living systems essential to people, culture, and the planet, and we urge other members interested in supporting the rights of rivers and communities to support them.
Representing Rivers and Rights during panel discussions
We are looking forward to connecting with partners and allies throughout the Congress, and invite all attendees to consider joining us for three sessions where the IR team members will be speaking:
- Earth Jurisprudence and the Rights of Nature: Transformative Solutions for Communities and Courts. Genny Ngende, Senior Campaign Coordinator for the Africa Program, will join our colleagues from Earth Law Center, Center for Environmental Ethics and Law among others to share innovative approaches underway in Africa to advance the rights of rivers. This will be an exciting opportunity to share success, challenges, and methodologies across regions.
- Achieving conservation and socio-economic benefits from managing Invasive Alien Species (IAS) in freshwater ecosystems. Freshwater ecosystems are among the most biodiverse and most threatened on Earth. Tackling invasive species is critical for sustaining river health and protecting livelihoods. IR’s own Josh Klemm, Executive Director, will be speaking on this panel to share excited advances in river restoration, particularly dam removal, and how Indigenous communities are bringing traditional knowledge to restoring their rivers.
- Dams in a social-ecological ecosystem approach to freshwater conservation. We’ll be highlighting the destructive legacy of dam development worldwide, from biodiversity collapse to community displacement. Large dams have too often been pushed as “green” energy solutions, but the evidence is clear: they cause irreparable damage to ecosystems and undermine human rights. Genny Ngende will be speaking on this panel on the harmful history behind dams, including the proposed Inga 3 dam in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and why they can no longer be considered to be a responsible energy choice when reliable, more ecologically sound alternatives exist.
Challenging the model of megadams
These conversations are particularly urgent given the current push to fast-track megadams worldwide.
You may have seen the news in December 2024, when the World Bank abruptly began financing the construction of mega dams, a model that has repeatedly failed both people and the planet. This despite decades of evidence that dams are expensive, socially harmful, and environmentally destructive. Most recently, the World Bank approved a $1 billion package to develop the massive Inga 3 dam in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). If built, Inga would devastate ecosystems along the Congo River and threaten the rights and livelihoods of millions in the region.
During the Congress, we will be vocal in engaging IUCN members to oppose these outmoded approaches as fundamentally contradictory to conservation goals and safeguarding the rights of river-dependent communities. We know that a just energy transition cannot be achieved through destructive hydropower. It must be built on solutions that protect rivers, climate stability, and human rights.
Looking Ahead
As first-time participants in the IUCN Congress, we are eager to connect with like-minded allies, Indigenous leaders, scientists, funders, and policymakers in Abu Dhabi. Our aim is to elevate rivers—and the communities who defend them—within the global conservation agenda.
Rivers are the arteries of our planet. Protecting them is not optional—it’s essential. This Congress is a chance to ensure they are safeguarded not only for ecosystems, but for the generations of people who depend on them.
We look forward to working with partners at IUCN to advance this vision: a world where rivers and communities thrive together.