By Ayesha DSouza, South Asia Program Coordinator. Mega Hydropower projects continue to be pushed in the fragile Indian Himalayas, often at the cost of the local communities and disguised as the only solution to local issues of development. One such place is Dzongu, the land of the Lepcha community in North Sikkim. Already home to…
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By Nalori Chakma, South Asia Senior Programme Coordinator, Transboundary Rivers of South Asia The brief on Sustainable Energy for all: making a case for community-scale micro-hydro as the solution (2021) highlights the importance of community-led energy systems, with focus on micro hydro. It gives detailed recommendations on micro hydro power and how communities can lead…
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While our work at International Rivers focuses on fighting mega dams and destructive hydropower, we know that not all hydropower is the same nor bad for the environment. In fact, community-based hydropower — such as pico, micro, and mini hydro — has provided socio-economic and environmental benefits to thousands of off-grid communities in the Asia…
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By: Jiten Yumnam, Nalori Dhammei Chakma and Petro Kotze The Meitei people call the Loktak Wetlands in India’s North East region Loktak Lairembi or, the mother goddess. The wetlands are the foundation of their socio-economic development and rich cultural heritage, but has been decimated by the construction of the contentious and controversial 105 MW Loktak…
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Por Isadora Soares Con sus 77 km de extensión, el hermoso paisaje del río San Pedro, en el sur de Chile, esconde la lucha silenciosa de la región contra el ya avanzado proyecto de construcción de la Central Hidroeléctrica San Pedro, proyecto que está interrumpido desde 2009. La animación de poco más de cinco minutos…
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For Immediate Release: November 9, 2021 For Spanish: https://intlrv.rs/3C4CUOS For Portuguese: https://intlrv.rs/3qoyD6A Glasgow, Scotland – As negotiators convened at COP26 in Glasgow attempt to break the deadlock on emissions cuts and financing mechanisms, a diverse set of voices are calling for the UNFCCC to exclude hydropower from consideration, citing dams’ grave human rights and climate…
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Durante a cúpula climática da COP26, os países membros da ONU irão discutir: (1) se deve ser estendido um programa que aprovou mais de 2.000 projetos hidroelétricos como compensações de carbono; e (2) se as barragens devem contar para as metas de redução de emissões, medidas pelos países membros da ONU como “Contribuições Determinadas a…
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by Justin Muhl and Josh Klemm As delegates converge at COP26 in Glasgow this week, many are promoting the notion of hydropower as central to weaning our energy systems off of fossil fuels. Yet hydropower generates significant greenhouse gases, particularly methane, and is one of the most vulnerable energy technologies to the impacts of climate…
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By Hydro Empowerment Network (HPNET) Originally published on HPNet’s website The river basins of the Ganges, Brahmaputra, Meghna, and Salween (GBMS) Rivers are endowed with rich natural resources, exceptional biodiversity, and vibrant indigenous cultures. Yet social and environmental well-being continue to be undermined by large hydro development, as decision makers seek economic prosperity and economic…
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***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** Manila, Philippines –Civil society groups across South, Southeast and Central Asia are raising the alarm as the Asian Development Bank (ADB) gears up to announce a new Energy Policy that — unless recalibrated — will fail to reflect the realities of climate science and local peoples’ burning concerns. On September 6th, the…
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This year, Earth Day and UN World Environment Day both focus on restoration, for good reason; 97% of Earth’s land area may no longer be ecologically intact. If we don’t urgently make recovery and investment choices that change course, our ecosystems, and humanity itself are on a path to collapse. We’re facing multiple crises: a global pandemic,…
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