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 jklemm@internationalrivers.org. Spokespeople Press Releases New Report Highlights the Missing “Just” from Vietnam’s Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) June 16, 2024 | Vietnam – A…
Chile has reached a major milestone for nature and communities alike. The Government of Chile has officially declared the Futaleufú and Puelo Rivers as Environmental Flow Reserves, the country’s first-ever rivers to receive this form of legal protection. This landmark decision guarantees that a significant portion of each river’s natural flow will remain intact to…
Background In a new study, International Rivers and Irigaray e Associados, Análise Juridica da Legislação Ambiental Brasileira, reveal a potentially transformative legal approach to protecting Brazil’s Tapajós River, revered by Indigenous communities as the “River of Life.” Despite its immense cultural and ecological value, the river basin is increasingly threatened by widespread illegal gold mining,…
In April 2025, International Rivers’ long-time friend Mari Luz Canaquiri Murayari received the Goldman Environmental Prize for her work securing legal protections for the Marañón River. International Rivers was proud to nominate Mari Luz, celebrate her win at the Goldman Prize ceremony, and, together with the Goldman Foundation, co-host a webinar with Mari Luz and…
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…
The Civil Court of Loreto issued a ruling this week that upholds the rights of the Marañón River, marking a significant victory for environmental justice and Indigenous rights in Peru. Originating in the Andes and flowing into the Amazon, the Marañón is critical to biodiversity and Indigenous communities, particularly the Kukama people who have long…
