French below/ Version Française plus bas Only one-third of rivers remain free-flowing, largely due to dams. Globally, large hydropower dams have displaced up to 80 million people and compromised the livelihoods of 472 million more downstream. Although dams are on the decline in most parts of the world, in Africa, there is an incline in planned…
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by Flavio Montiel, International Rivers’ Brazil Manager Last month, I had the opportunity to participate in the second Brazilian Rights of Nature Forum held in Ilhéus, Brazil. The forum served as a gathering point for more than 300 people from diverse biomes of Brazil. The event brought together environmentalists, legal scholars, Indigenous leaders, original populations,…
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By Monti Aguirre of International Rivers and Javier Ruiz of Earth Law Center In a historic milestone for the protection of the Amazon rivers, the Marañón River in Peru has become the protagonist of an unprecedented case to elevate its status as a rights holder. This constitutional protection process, number 00010-2022-1901-JM-01, was filed by the…
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Press Release from the Klamath River Renewal Corporation For Immediate Release: November 2, 2023 Contact: Ren Brownell, PIO, ren@klamathrenewal.org, 530-670-0016 Work on Copco No. 2 Dam Removal Comes to a Close Removal of the diversion dam restores flows to historic Klamath River canyon for the first time in nearly a century. (Hornbrook, Ca) This week, crews put the…
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by Pianporn Deetes, Regional Campaigns Director, Southeast Asia Program October 18, 2023 – Over 80 people gathered at the Chiang Mai Administrative Court in Thailand today to mark the filing of a lawsuit against the Yuam/Salween Water Diversion Project. The lawsuit challenges the legitimacy of the project and the project’s environmental impact assessment (EIA), which…
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On Thursday, October 12, Mekong River defender Niwat Roykaew became the first Thai to receive the Leader on the Frontlines Award from the Asia Foundation, a nonprofit international development organisation based in San Francisco, California. Niwat Roykaew also known as “Kru Thi”, is the chair of the Chiang Khong Conservation Group and director of Mekong…
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Over the past few days, International Rivers had the incredible privilege of participating in a groundbreaking event that spotlighted the increasingly vital concept of the “Rights of Nature” in Brazil. The second Brazilian Rights of Nature Forum took place October 6 – 8th, in the breathtaking backdrop of Ilhéus, Bahia. This Brazilian Rights of Nature…
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We watch with grave concern the news that the Chungthang dam (also called Teesta III) has been destroyed as a result of torrential rains and a glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) upstream on the Teesta River in the state of Sikkim, India in the early hours of October 4, 2023. As of October 16, more…
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CONTACT: v4climateleaders@gmail.com On Friday, September 15, Ms. Ngo Nhien (Nhien), Executive Director of Vietnam Initiative for Energy Transition (VIETSE), an independent Vietnamese energy think tank, was detained by the police. This comes on the heels of U.S. President Biden’s recent visit to Hanoi in which the two countries strengthened their partnership and discussed human rights…
Read MoreOn September 13, the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand, or EGAT, signed a Power Purchase Agreement for the controversial Pak Beng Dam on the main stem of the Mekong River. Located in northern Lao PDR, Pak Beng would be built on the Lower Mekong mainstream and is expected to displace people in over 25 villages….
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Originally published in the Bangkok Post by Pai Deetes, “Future of rivers in PM’s hands” In a speech to Parliament on 11 September, the new Thai Prime Minister, Srettha Thavisn, outlined policies, commitments and actions his government will take over the next four years for the “benefit and happiness of all Thai people.” While limited…
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