As we celebrate International Rivers’ 40th anniversary in 2025, we are filled with gratitude and hope. What began in 1985 when Mark Dubois chained himself to a rock to stop a dam has grown into a global movement that has fundamentally changed how the world thinks about rivers, rights, and development.
Over four decades, our community has achieved what many thought impossible. Together, we’ve stopped hundreds of destructive dam projects, protected the rights of countless riverside communities, and helped divert tens of billions of dollars away from harmful infrastructure toward more sustainable solutions. From the landmark World Commission on Dams to pioneering legal protections for rivers, we’ve transformed the global conversation about rivers and rights.
Just this past year, we celebrated the historic recognition of Peru’s Marañón River as a legal subject of rights, gathered 125 women leaders from 18 countries at the Asia Women and Rivers Congress to share and develop lessons and strategies, and halted the latest proposed dam in the Brazilian Amazon.
Yet as we mark this milestone, we’re keenly aware that the work of protecting the world’s rivers has never been more urgent. Rivers are the lifeblood of our planet – critical for biodiversity, climate resilience, and community wellbeing. Recent research reveals how changes in river sediment transport affect everything from agricultural fertility to coastal protection against rising seas. Even as dams are globally in decline, we see the threat of dams, often sold as green, loom in the global south over the growing need for energy. The decisions we make now about our rivers will shape the future of both people and the planet.
That’s why we’re looking ahead with ambitious vision and renewed commitment. Over the next 40 years, we will work to:
- Secure permanent legal protections for the world’s remaining free-flowing rivers, including advancing Rights of Nature frameworks that recognize rivers as living entities
- Support river defenders and local communities, particularly women, as primary decision-makers over their rivers and territories
- Drive a just energy transition that protects rivers while ensuring sustainable and equitable access to energy
- Build a powerful global movement of river defenders equipped with the tools, resources, and connections needed to protect their watersheds
We know this vision is achievable because we’ve seen the power of collective action time and again. When we published our first newsletter in 1985, few believed that communities could successfully challenge destructive mega-dams or that rivers could be granted legal rights. Today, these approaches are increasingly recognized as vital for addressing our climate and biodiversity crises.
As we look to the future, we’re inspired by the rising generation of river defenders and the growing recognition that healthy rivers are essential for a livable planet. We’re committed to supporting community-led solutions that protect both rivers and rights.
We invite you to join us in celebrating this milestone year and building the next chapter of our movement. In the coming months, we’ll be sharing stories from our history, hosting regional gatherings, and launching new initiatives to strengthen river protection worldwide.
Thank you for being part of this journey. Together, we can ensure that rivers flow freely for generations to come.
In solidarity,
Isabella Winkler and Josh Klemm
Co-Executive Directors