Free-flowing rivers are integral to supporting life on Earth. They bolster biodiversity, regulate the climate, provide fresh water, and sustain cultural traditions. However, destructive extractive and infrastructure projects threaten rivers, altering their flow, starving plants and wildlife, degrading water quality, and imperiling the ways of life of countless riverine communities. On March 14, river defenders…
Read More
How a battle over development on a California river helped inspire the founding of International Rivers and a global movement to amplify the voices of rivers and riverine communities. By Kate Fried Nearly 60 years ago, a self-described “awkward” teenager from Sacramento, California, named Mark Dubois, met the most powerful teacher of his life–the Stanislaus…
Read More
Statement by Josh Klemm and Isabella Winkler, Co-Executive Directors, International Rivers “Last month, a jury in North Dakota delivered a devastating ruling against Greenpeace USA, deciding that the climate justice organization must pay Energy Transfer Partners, the company behind the Dakota Access Pipeline, $660 million in one of the most high-profile defamation judgements in recent…
Read More
By Monti Aguirre Early this year, a coalition of Chilean civil society organizations sent a powerful letter to executives of China Communications Construction Co. Ltd. (CCCC) and its subsidiary China International Water & Electric Corporation (CWE), warning of the legal, environmental, and social risks associated with the proposed Rucalhue Dam on the Biobío River. The…
Read More
Today marks a historic confluence as we celebrate the first-ever World Glacier Day followed tomorrow by World Water Day. As communities worldwide celebrate our planet’s most precious resource, the United Nations has designated 2025 as the International Year of Glacier Preservation. This urgent global initiative comes as glaciers experienced their greatest water loss in over…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
“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…
Read More
As we celebrate International Rivers’ 40th anniversary in 2025, we are filled with gratitude and hope. What began in 1985 when Mark Dubois chained himself to a rock to stop a dam has grown into a global movement that has fundamentally changed how the world thinks about rivers, rights, and development. Over four decades, our…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More