On the global front lines of climate justice, few stories resonate as powerfully as that of Mariluz Canaquiri Murayari. This year, the Peruvian Indigenous leader was awarded the prestigious 2025 Goldman Environmental Prize for her tireless work defending the Marañón River. A grandmother and leader of the Kukama people, Mariluz organized local women to launch…
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As we celebrate International Women’s Day 2025, we highlight the critical role of women river defenders in shaping water governance across Asia and beyond. The world stands at a critical juncture in its journey towards sustainability and climate resilience. Among the most pressing issues is water governance, a complex challenge that requires an inclusive and…
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Last month, International Rivers supported community and civil society representatives from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) who traveled to Washington, D.C. to urge the World Bank to reconsider its plans to fund Inga 3, the next phase of the Grand Inga Project on the Congo River. Grand Inga is a seven-phase, mega hydropower facility…
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“They are afraid of us because we are not afraid.” –Berta Caceres. By Kate Fried Today marks the ninth anniversary of the tragic assassination of our friend, Berta Caceres. She was gunned down in her home after multiple threats against her life. A Lenca-Honduran environmental activist, Indigenous leader, and Goldman Prize winner, Berta is best…
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By Maureen Harris, Senior Advisor of International Rivers Today, 24 January 2025, marks three years since the unjust trial and sentencing of our partner and friend, environmental lawyer and climate advocate Dang Dinh Bach (Bach). Bach is a river defender. He worked for years to raise awareness about the downstream impacts of dams on the Mekong…
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: JANUARY 24, 2025 Media contact: v4climateleaders@gmail.com Bach to Receive Roger N. Baldwin Medal of Liberty for Human Rights While Behind Bars Vietnam – Today – Friday, January 24th – marks three years since climate leader Mr. Dang Dinh Bach (Bach) was sentenced to prison for his campaign to reduce Vietnamese reliance on coal…
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By Pai Deetes, Phairin Sohsai and Tanya Lee Roberts-Davis On December 17th, Thailand’s Office of National Water Resources (ONWR), in its role as the secretariat of Thai National Mekong Commission (TNMC), announced that it intends to proceed with the implementation of the Prior Consultation (PC) process for the proposed Sanakham Hydropower Project in accordance with…
Read MoreBy Rin Sohsai In early October, the National Human Rights Commission of Thailand (NHRC) sent a letter to Thailand’s Prime Minister expressing serious concerns about the plans for four more hydropower projects to be built on the mainstream of the Mekong River near the Thai-Lao territorial border— namely, the Sanakham, Pak Chom, Ban Kum and…
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By Joshua Klemm, Co-Executive Director As world leaders gather this week in Washington, DC for the World Bank’s Annual Meetings, over 100 civil society organizations are raising the alarm over the World Bank’s plans to lend billions of dollars for ill-conceived and destructive megadams around the world. A letter sent to the World Bank today…
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Photos here (credit: Defensa Ambiental) Download the press release here: English Version For Immediate Release September 25, 2024 MEDIA CONTACTS: Isadora Armani, Communications of International Rivers,iarmani@internationalrivers.org (English, Portuguese) Dario Cuellar, Communications of Defensa Ambiental, dario@ongdefensaambiental.cl (Spanish) CONCEPCIÓN, CHILE – The Biobío River is now the first ecosystem to have a Declaration of Rights in Chile. …
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: SEPTEMBER 23, 2024 MEDIA CONTACT: v4climateleaders@gmail.com The Vietnam Climate Defenders Coalition, a group of over 30 international and regional environmental, climate justice, and human rights organizations, celebrates the early release from prison of climate advocate and environmental defender Hoang Thi Minh Hong. Hong was released in the early hours of 21 September…
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