By: Maureen Harris, Programs Director International Rivers expresses its concern and regret about the tragic loss of life and hardship facing communities living downstream of the collapsed dam in Lao PDR. An auxillary dam that was part of the Xepian-Xe Nam Noy hydropower scheme on the Xepian River collapsed the night of July 23 as…
Today, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee took the decision to officially inscribe Lake Turkana as a World Heritage site “in danger” because of severe impacts caused by the Gibe 3 Dam, constructed upstream on Ethiopia’s Omo River. The dam and associated sugar plantations have severely restricted flows into Kenya’s Lake Turkana, the world’s largest desert lake. “We…
Chile Rejects Environmental Approval of Patagonia Megadams FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Berkeley, US: Today Chile’s Committee of Ministers – the country’s highest administrative authority – cancelled the environmental permits for five controversial dams proposed on two of Chilean Patagonia’s wildest rivers – the culmination of an eight-year battle. “This is the right move and an import step…
PRESS RELEASE | International NGOs Call for Release of Prominent Environmental Defender in Vietnam One Year After 5-Year Prison Sentence Environmental Lawyer Dang Dinh Bach Is One of Several Silenced by the Vietnamese Government After Attempts to Wean the Country Off of Coal and Protect Communities from Public Health Hazards For Immediate Release: January 24, 2023 MEDIA…
Welcome to the Press Center. Here you will find our current press releases and statements, media contacts, and other resources for journalists. For all other media inquiries, please reach out to our Communications Manager, Bonnie Barclay at bbarclay@internationalrivers.org or +1 323 363 4874 Spokespeople Press Releases PRESS RELEASE | Namibia at an Energy Crossroads: continue…
An analysis of the costs, risks and impacts of pursuing an energy future reliant on hydropower versus solar and wind Background Namibia currently has a small energy system that is dominated by its 347 megawatts (MW) Ruacana hydropower plant. The country is also considering an additional hydropower plant, the Baynes Hydropower Project on the Kunene…
Originally published in Alternet by Josh Klemm and Eugene Simonov Not only does hydroelectric power fail to prevent catastrophic climate change, but it also renders countries more vulnerable to climate change while emitting significant amounts of methane, one of the worst greenhouse gases. A river is a spectacular living corridor that feeds forests, fisheries, coastal ecosystems, and…
Publicação da International Rivers traz estudos inéditos sobre riqueza socioambiental e de biodiversidade da bacia do Tapajós, como também potenciais ameaças de exploração do território. Press Release in English follows below Contatos Cecília Garcia, jornalista da equipe da América Latina da International Rivers, cgarcia@internationalrivers.org, Isadora Armani, jornalista da equipe da América Latina da International Rivers, …
BACKGROUND This report assesses the socio-economic impact of the Inga 3 dam with a particular focus on South African citizens and on women. It looks at the commercial case for the dam, comparing it on price with alternatives before weighing positive and negative social and environmental impacts against each other. Our report suggests that Inga…
Background Healthy rivers are critical in sustaining communities and ecosystems. Yet our rivers around the world are under threat. As many as 3,700 new dams have either been proposed or are already under construction. Despite the enormous diversity in size, scale and geography of new dams being built, a relatively small number of corporations are…
