International Rivers Blog RSS Feed

World Bank: Lending Up For Coal and Large Hydro, Down For Renewables

Peter Bosshard — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 13:53:47 -0700

According to a report soon to be released by Oil Change International, the World Bank Group increased its lending for coal by an astonishing 256% in 2008. Lending for large hydropower projects increased from $751 million to $1,007 million. Support for renewable energy stagnated at a low level.

European Governments To Pull Out Of Ilisu Dam?

Peter Bosshard — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 10:59:13 -0700

The ancient town of Hasankeyf will be flooded by the Ilisu Dam (peevishsoul)

By sending an Environmental Failure Notice to the Turkish authorities, the governments of Germany, Austria and Switzerland have started the process of withdrawing their financial support for the Ilisu Project in Turkey. This is a fantastic success of the European anti-Ilisu campaigners. While the German government has pushed for this unprecedented step, the attitude of the Austrian and Swiss governments is ambiguous. The next two months will decide over the fate of the project.

Not My Favorite Martian

Glenn Switkes — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 06:21:10 -0700

Just a final volley before I leave on three months of sabbatical.

First, a couple of Quotable Quotes - we´ve often wondered what planet Jerson Kelman, head of Brazil´s electricity regulatory agency comes from, and perhaps he´s now given us a clue. On October 1, Kelman told a meeting of electric sector executives that "there is an ideological, nearly religious objection to hydroelectric dams in Brazil", and that "if a Martian landed in Brazil, he would not understand why Brazilians are ignoring their great hydroelectric potential". Only an alien would not know that nearly all (85%) of Brazil´s electricity comes from dams, and that in the future, if his electric sector colleagues have their way, nearly all the rivers of Amazonia will be dedicated to their genuine vocation - turning hydroelectric turbines.

Thousands Flooded Out by Merowe Dam in Sudan

Peter Bosshard — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 17:20:31 -0700

Flooded home at Merowe Dam village.

The Sudanese government has closed the gates of the Merowe Dam in order to flood out thousands of people who have so far resisted displacement from their villages in the Nile Valley. The affected people are holding out, but desperately need our support. The credibility of the Chinese, German and French companies which are involved in the project is on the line.

New Film: Power on the River

Colin Carpenter — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 11:00:15 -0700

Power on the River is a short documentary by Eliot Fisher and Anna Kongs about what happens when the corporate vision of progress enters into the lives of small rural communities in the interior of Brazil.

Correa Sends Odebrecht Packing

Glenn Switkes — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 03:08:42 -0700

Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa

Ecuador´s President Rafael Correa has now taken the bold step of kicking Brazilian dam-building giant Odebrecht out of the country. Odebrecht officials have reported taken sanctuary in the Brazilian embassy in Quito, and Correa now says Ecuador may elect to default on a loan of more than $200 million from Brazil´s National Development Bank, BNDES for construction of San Francisco Dam. The problem, as described in my blog last week, was the Brazilians´ shoddy worksmanship, and their refusal to compensate Ecuador for damages to the dam.

Bailing Out Environmental Subprime Lenders?

Peter Bosshard — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 16:51:37 -0700

Gibe III dam site in Ethiopia

Last night, I got a phone call from Henry Paulson. The Treasury Secretary urged me to quickly send some cash to bail out the imprudent Wall Street banks. For our family, Paulson explained, the bill would be $7,000. If we wanted to pay up for all members of International Rivers in the US, the amount would be $1.2 million. Our contribution would allow paying the salary and bonus of Jamie Dimon, JP Morgan Chase's CEO, for one month, and give the bank some breathing space to offload their bad debt to the taxpayers.

A Guide on China’s Overseas Dam Industry

Peter Bosshard — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 17:28:51 -0700

China is building hydropower projects around the world. We are currently aware of at least 140 large dams with Chinese involvement in 40 countries, and counting. Many of these projects pose serious social and environmental risks. NGOs need to learn how to deal with the new actors in the dam building world. A guide by International Rivers shows how to do this.

Best of Times, Worst of Times for Alstom

Glenn Switkes — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 07:12:50 -0700

Alstom Company Headquarters (archive)

On the same day that Alstom announced its biggest contract ever for dam-building equipment - a US$700 million deal to furnish turbines and other materials for Santo Antonio Dam on the Madeira River in the Brazilian Amazon, Brazil´s federal prosecutors announced they will begin a new investigation into charges that the company handed out millions in bribes to politicians in São Paulo to win a lucrative Metro contract.

We're Making Waves in Fiji

Peter Bosshard — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 16:04:22 -0700

Nice to see that our work on China's overseas dam builders is making waves in Fiji. A civil society group with a strong reputation as an independent government watchdog has questioned the credibility of Sinohydro, the main contractor in a large dam project on the Pacific island, because of its safety and environmental record. Here is a news report from the Fiji Times.

Pollution Eats the Fruits of China’s Growth

Peter Bosshard — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 17:41:36 -0700

Three Gorges Demolition

A new report from the Chinese Academy of Sciences finds that the cost of environmental destruction in China was $402 billion in 2005, or close to one seventh of the country’s economic output. There is a growing realization in China that the current growth model is not sustainable, and should not be exported to other countries unabated.

TV Feature Exposes Carbon Swindle

Colin Carpenter — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 14:04:31 -0700

Ecuador Tells Odebrecht: "Fix it or Clear Out!"

Glenn Switkes — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 06:13:11 -0700

San Francisco Dam, Ecuador (Clifford J. Schexnayder)

Just a year ago, things were looking rosy for the Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht, which had just finished building a large dam in Ecuador, called San Francisco.

Now, with serious problems with its turbines and conduction tunnels shutting down the 350 MW project, Ecuador´s President Rafael Correa has given Odebrecht a final ultimatum to fix its dam or leave the country.

The Vicious Circle of Corruption, Dams and Disaster

Peter Bosshard — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 17:53:07 -0700

Kosi River Breaks Embankment

Transparency International’s Global Corruption Report 2008, to which your blogger contributed a brief paper, is devoted to corruption in the water sector. It states forcefully that “corruption in the water sector puts the lives and livelihoods of billions of people at risk”. The recent flood disaster on the Kosi River in Nepal and India illustrates in a shocking way how corruption, dams and disaster feed on each other.

Ilisu – A Test Case for the Global Dam Industry

Peter Bosshard — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 11:06:47 -0700

Protest in Berlin

The high drama over Turkey’s Ilisu Dam continues. A new report by the official monitoring team demonstrates that the project continues to violate the conditions under which Austria, Germany and Switzerland agreed to fund the project. Ilisu has become a test case for the dam industry’s efforts to strengthen the social and environmental acceptability of its projects.

Fool Me Once, Shame on You...

Glenn Switkes — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 12:32:18 -0700

A wise old Chinese philosopher once said "Fool me once, shame on you...fool me twice, shame on me". Brazil´s granting of a construction license for Santo Antônio Dam, on the Madeira River, made it clear that responsibility must be shared for the shameful way in which environmental laws have been blatantly ignored in order to hasten the destruction of the Amazon´s major tributary.

Our Backyard: The Klamath River Needs Your Help

Colin Carpenter — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 12:53:44 -0700

Typically we keep our focus on rivers outside the U.S., but on Septemeber 18 we'll see an important action happening here at home on the West Coast. The Klamath Justice Coalition is organizing the first annual Day of Action Against PacifiCorp: The Most Destructive Power Company in the West.

Families Flooded Out by Merowe Dam Reservoir

Colin Carpenter — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 09:51:15 -0700

Army Mobilizes to Defend Balbina Dam

Glenn Switkes — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 10:55:47 -0700

Brazilian Military in Amazon (archive)

I know I should be working, but this one caught my eye: "Brazil defends Amazon dam in simulated war. Beginning yesterday, the `Green´ country (Brazil) will be invaded by the `Yellow´ country, which will occupy Balbina Dam and mineral-rich areas in the Amazon." The Brazilian Navy, Army, and Air Force will mobilize to halt the nefarious "Yellow" plans. According to the operation´s site, the principal objective is to protect the dam and electric system installations.

Mother Threatens to Take Away Their Toys

Glenn Switkes — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 10:24:01 -0700

Dilma Rousseff, Lula´s Chief-of-Staff (Antônio Cruz/ABr)

Like a stern mother scolding disobedient children, President Lula´s Chief-of-Staff Dilma Rousseff has threatened the Madeira dams consortia that if they go to court to contest the terms of project concessions, the Brazilian government will build the dams itself.

The maternal comparison is fitting because Rousseff, being groomed as the Workers Party candidate in the 2010 presidential election, has been declared by Lula to be "the Mother of PAC", the government´s Plan to Accelerate Growth, based upon building large-scale infrastructure projects.

Showing Our Impact

Colin Carpenter — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 09:01:17 -0700

Hurray - Yesterday we were acknowledged for the strong impact of the flash presentations we've been producing to highlight our work. The goal of these slideshows is to bring our message to a wider audience and convey a powerful feeling of why we do this work, and what's at stake for the people and places threatened by large dams.

With Rings on Their Fingers

Glenn Switkes — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 16:53:37 -0700

In characteristic heavy-handed fashion, Brazil´s electricity bureaucracy last week went through the motions of assuring the public and environmental licensing authorities that Belo Monte will be stand-alone dam on the Xingu River. In attempting to explain the decision, Jerson Kelman, Director-General of the electrical energy regulatory body, ANEEL, said "Technically, there´s no reason not to build other dams (on the river)". Kelman termed the decision "political", designed to satisfy those who want the dam. "It´s a typical case of giving up your rings to keep your fingers", he said. (Ouch!)

When Governments Corrupt

Glenn Switkes — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 07:05:27 -0700

Lula, Minc and others protest Angra III nuclear plant, 1989 (archive)

What happens when activists, or idealists enter in the government? The papers are full of accounts of government corruption, but is the converse also true - that governments corrupt, turning activists into staunch defenders of vested interests? Case in point - yesterday´s approval of a provisisonal license for the Angra III nuclear plant by Environmental Minister Carlos Minc.

Battle of the Titans

Glenn Switkes — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 12:48:09 -0700

Amid continued calls by dam builders to accelerate environmental licensing in Brazil, a battle looms between industry giants which could delay the damming of the Madeira River.

I Joined Technorati

Glenn Switkes — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 11:01:48 -0700

Look for me on your favorite blog reader. I posted this entry just so they'd give me a Technorati Profile. :)