Latin America is a vast and ecologically diverse region known for the power and beauty of its river systems. International Rivers works in river basins throughout Latin America that are hotspots of biodiversity and that are also threatened by extensive large hydropower development, including the Amazon, the world’s largest river basin; Colombia’s Magdalena River and Peru’s Marañon; and the crystalline waters of Patagonia.
These magnificent rivers are fountains of life for an incredible diversity of plant and animal species, as well as for indigenous peoples and riverine communities.
Despite the fundamental social, economic and ecological importance of rivers, corporations and governments treat these natural treasures as a resource to be exploited for electricity, industrial-scale irrigation and mining. Fortunately, International Rivers and its partners are organizing to fight new dams, demand reparations for harm caused by old ones, save the region’s imperiled freshwater from pollution, promote permanent protection of these vital waterways, and enable a just energy transition.
Baker River, Patagonia | Photo by: International Rivers 
Ashaninka women in Tsiquireni, in the shores of Ene River (2012) | Photo by: Tomas Munita
Related Resources
Belo Monte: After the Flood
Directed by award-winning environmental documentarian Todd Southgate, and produced with International Rivers, Amazon Watch and Cultures of Resistance. The film explores the history and consequences of one of the world’s most controversial dam projects, built on the Xingu River in the heart of the Brazilian Amazon.
Latest Latin America Updates
- International Rivers and Tapajós de Fato launch podcast series “Tapajós Sob o Sol”
A three-episode series welcomes specialists to discuss relevant topics in the Tapajós region, including bioeconomy, archaeological importance, and what hydrographic basins and rivers have to do with climate change. Link… - International Rivers e Tapajós de Fato lançam série de podcast “Tapajós Sob o Sol”Série de três episódios recebe especialistas para debater temas relevantes da região do Tapajós, como a bioeconomia, a importância arqueológica e como as bacias hidrográficas e os rios têm a…
- Proposal prohibiting construction of hydroelectric and infrastructure projects on the Cuiabá River, is closer to becoming law in the Mato Grosso state in Brazil
A victory for the Pantanal– the world’s largest tropical wetland! By twenty votes to three, the Legislative Assembly of the State of Mato Grosso (ALMT) this week overturned Governor Mauro Mendes’…