PRESS RELEASE | New Report: Biodiversity loss driven by world’s largest dam builders poses a major challenge for China’s global biodiversity footprint

For Immediate Release: October 13, 2021  Contacts:  Josh Klemm, Policy Director, International Rivers/Report Author, +1 202 492 8904 jklemm@internationalrivers.org Bonnie Barclay, Communications Manager, International Rivers, +1 323 363 4874,  bbarclay@internationalrivers.org Oakland, CA – International Rivers today published a report calling attention to the need for the world’s largest dam building companies to take urgent steps…

Press Release: Kukama Women Say Their Marañón River is a Living Being: Groundbreaking Lawsuit Filed in Peru

For Immediate Release: October 12, 2021 Huaynakana Kamatahuara kana, a Kukama women’s federation in the lower Marañón Valley, has filed a groundbreaking legal action demanding that the Peruvian government recognize their river as a legal person, or “Ser Vivo” (Living Being)). A coalition of national and international organizations including the Institute for Legal Defense, International…

Press Release | More than 570 Experts from 97 Countries Urge the UN to Strengthen Freshwater Biodiversity Protections As Humanity Faces Catastrophic Losses of Aquatic Species and Habitats

Irreplaceable freshwater species and habitats on which humanity depends are being lost at a faster rate than on land or in seas; world leaders must prioritize urgent and targeted actions to protect and restore these ecosystems and defend the rights of Indigenous and marginalized communities disproportionately affected by these losses.  For Immediate Release: October 11,…

Press Release | 300 organizations from 69 countries call on governments to not use climate funding for so-called “sustainable” hydropower schemes

***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** Glasgow, Scotland— 300 organizations from 69 countries today launched a Rivers for Climate Global Declaration calling on governments and leaders attending COP26 to protect river ecosystems and stop using scarce climate funds to finance false climate solutions such as hydropower. Representing the views of civil society, peoples movements, Indigenous Peoples’ organizations, scientists,…

Press Release | Advocates at IUCN Congress Highlight a Wave of New Support for the Rights of Rivers

For immediate release: September 8, 2021 Contacts:     1. Monti Aguirre, International Rivers (707-591-1220; monti@internationalrivers.org) 2. Grant Wilson, Earth Law Center (510-566-1063; gwilson@earthlaw.org) Marseille, France—Today, advocates from across the globe gathered at the IUCN World Conservation Congress (both in person and remotely) to highlight the precipitous growth of the movement to recognize the rights of rivers and…

Press Release | Civil Society Groups Across Asia demand the ADB recalibrate its Draft Energy Policy in line with climate and community realities

***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…

Press Release | Riverscope: A New Geospatial Tool To Assess the True Costs and Financial Risks of Hydropower

For immediate release OXFORD, UK and OAKLAND, US, August 25, 2021—A new geospatial assessment tool for hydropower, Riverscope, launched today. Riverscope was developed by TMP Systems in collaboration with International Rivers. It is the first comprehensive tool to assess often-overlooked environmental and social risks and connect them quantitatively to the commercial performance of hydropower projects….

Press release | Investor Alert: Belo Sun discloses misleading information to investors regarding controversial gold mining project in the Brazilian Amazon

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 29, 2021 Thursday, July 29, 2021. In a complaint to the Ontario Securities Commission, an international coalition of civil society organizations calls attention to the repeated dissemination of misleading information by Belo Sun Mining Corp (TSXV:BSX), including statements by CEO Peter Tagliamonte, downplaying socio-environmental, legal, and financial risks of the company’s…

Press release | Financial institutions warned of risks in financing controversial railroad project to export soybeans from the Brazilian Amazon

São Paulo and Brasilia, July 13, 2021 – A coalition of civil society organizations delivered today a warning letter to public and private financial institutions regarding a series of risks – social, environmental, legal, financial and reputational – related to their potential involvement in Ferrogrão, a proposed ‘greenfield’ railroad project aimed at promoting exports of…

Press Release | Coalition of International Organizations Files an Amicus Curiae Brief Calling for the Recognition of the Intrinsic Rights of the Marañón River in Peru

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 12th, 2021 Contacts: Constanza Prieto Figelist (cpfigelist@earthlaw.org, +1 202-621-3877), Monti Aguirre (monti@internationalrivers.org, +1 707-591-1220) Lima, Peru—On July 5th, a coalition of international organizations filed an Amicus Curiae brief before the Celendín Court of Justice, Civil Court, requesting the recognition of the inherent rights of the Marañón River associated with the exercise…