Our rivers are a source of life – and a coveted resource for corporations and governments. While most hydropower companies commit to protecting these ecosystems, there’s a significant gap between policies and performance.

The UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) says that corporations bear direct responsibility for upholding human rights. Dam builders routinely run afoul of even weak national laws and policies, however, facing little accountability for the damage they cause. The cost is borne by those who can least afford it – rural communities, women and fragile ecosystems. 

A woman holding a microphone gestures towards a poster of a town.
A representative of Tay Giang Women’s Union shares about her community’s situation before and after resettlement due to hydropower project in Quang Nam Province, Vietnam. | Photo by Centre for Social Research and Development (CSRD)

Our Work to hold the Hydropower Industry Accoutable

We work with communities to hold these companies accountable, documenting and exposing human rights abuses, harm and corruption. We advocate for redress, including through the judicial system. We engage with governments and financiers about private sector standards and safeguards. We press for a just energy transition.

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