By: Deborah Moore, International Rivers Board Member Darryl Knudsen, Executive Director Michael Simon, former Senior Director of Strategy This article was originally featured on Truthout There’s some good news amid the grim global pandemic: At long last, the world’s largest dam removal is finally happening. The landmark agreement, which was finalized in November 2020 between farmers, tribes and…
Current Campaign From snow-capped mountains to Amazonian rainforests, Latin America is home to the Andes-Amazon, the largest freshwater system on the planet. But this vast biome is facing unprecedented threats from a surge in hydroelectric dam construction, pollution and transportation mega-projects. “In a very short time, our species has caused great changes to the biosphere….
Background On the 20th Anniversary of the landmark World Commission on Dams Report, a new report from International Rivers and Rivers without Boundaries charts an alternative course for post-pandemic energy development than the revitalization of a failing hydropower industry. As Rivers for Recovery details, despite the rhetoric of the hydropower industry, the industry’s global flagship…
The following list describes several World Heritage Sites under threat from existing or proposed dams. This is not meant as a comprehensive list of all dam-affected Sites, but rather a first step towards documenting the global threat that many World Heritage Sites currently face. The first five sites include those where International Rivers or our partners have…
By: Monti Aguirre, Latin America Program Director (with Brent Milliken, Latin American Program Director) The global COVID-19 crisis has shed a light on the deep-seated inequities in the way our rivers and the people who depend on them are treated. With the exposure created by this crisis comes an opportunity. As International Rivers adapts to current…
As the climate crisis accelerates, the hydropower industry is attempting to recast large dams as a climate-friendly energy source. Nothing could be further from the truth. First, dam reservoirs (particularly in the tropics) are a globally significant source of methane, one of the world’s most potent greenhouse gases. Free-flowing rivers, on the other hand, play…
The Discussion Brief This brief introduces the Strategic Environmental Assessment of the Myanmar Hydropower Sector and seeks to generate dialogue, including around the study’s process, findings and recommendations. While the assessment was a contested process, it produced important outcomes, including the recommendation to reserve the mainstream of Myanmar’s major river basins from hydropower development to…
International Rivers regularly publishes and distributes print materials with the purpose of informing and educating the public about issues related to rivers. All of our materials are available for free, and can be downloaded from our website and reprinted without restriction. More Reports & Publications can be found on The River Resource Hub. Women and…
Permanent protections for free-flowing rivers need to be a centerpiece of every country’s national climate action plan. Chile can lead the way. Originally published on the New York Times, 12/29/2019 By: Macarena Soler, Monti Aguirre and Juan Pablo Orrego Macarena Soler is the founder of Geute Conservación Sur, Monti Aguirre is the Latin America program coordinator of International…
Chinese companies are pushing to resume destructive dam projects, ignoring a key assessment By: Maureen Harris, Programs Director & Pai Deetes, Thailand & Myanmar Campaigns Director Also featured on China Dialogue Much media attention in Myanmar is focussed on China’s apparent efforts to revive the stalled Myitsone dam, its role in advising the Myanmar government on developing a new…
