International Rivers is pleased to launch a five-part animated series designed to inform, engage, and provide tools for communities, policymakers, and advocates on the urgent issues facing the Guinea’s river systems.
Guinea, known as West Africa’s “water tower,” receives the region’s highest rainfall and is the source of major rivers such as the Niger, Senegal, and Gambia, which sustain tens of millions of people. To address chronic energy shortages, the government has, in recent years, embarked on an ambitious hydropower dam program.
This legal-educational initiative examines the ecological and cultural significance of Guinea’s rivers while critically examining the far-reaching consequences of large-scale hydropower development. The series highlights the indispensable role these rivers play in sustaining local communities, ecosystems, and regional biodiversity; explains the mechanics of dam construction while interrogating the promises used to justify such projects; exposes the social, economic, and environmental harms linked to hydropower dams, including displacement, loss of livelihoods, and ecological degradation; promotes awareness of community rights, particularly the principles of public consultation and free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC). It further advocates for sustainable alternatives that align with environmental protections and just and equitable energy systems in Guinea.
The animation series, presented in the Pulaar language with English subtitles, guides viewers through the waterways of this West African nation, highlighting the basin’s rich ecology while illustrating the disruptive effects of large-scale dams on communities and ecosystems. By juxtaposing the rivers’ natural beauty with the harm caused by poorly planned projects, the series underscores the legal and moral imperative for rights-based, sustainable river management.
The initiative unfolds through five interlinked episodes:
Episode 1 | The Rivers of Guinea underscores the vital importance of Guinea’s rivers, which sustain local livelihoods through fishing, farming, and drinking water, while holding deep cultural significance. They are ecological lifelines, supporting rich biodiversity and feeding major transboundary rivers such as the Niger and Senegal. Protecting these rivers is essential to ensure food security, water access, and ecological balance for future generations, as well as resilience and stability across the region.
Episode 2 | What is a Dam provides a plain-language explanation of dam operations and the development promises used to legitimize their construction.
Episode 3 | The Impacts of Hydropower Dams critically examines the social, economic, and environmental costs of dam projects.
Episode 4 | What are our Rights introduces the concepts of public consultation and FPIC, emphasising that communities have a recognised right to participate meaningfully in decisions impacting their resources and livelihoods and lastly,
Episode 5 | Alternative Energy presents viable, sustainable energy and water solutions that avoid the destructive footprint of large-scale hydropower.
Ibrahima Kalil Bamba of the Centre du Commerce International pour le Développement (CECIDE) in Guinea states that “the animated videos serve as a powerful tool to raise awareness among dam-affected communities, enabling them to better understand the social and environmental challenges at stake.” He notes that “the videos directly address the urgent need for clear and accessible information on the many impacts of the dam, thereby equipping communities with the knowledge needed to engage and defend their rights.”
International Rivers’ Genny Ngende emphasized that “the animations enable communities to better understand their rights by providing them with the information necessary to actively participate in decisions affecting their lands and lives.”