Africa

Africa’s great rivers have nourished some of the world’s most significant civilizations. They have shaped the rhythm of life for untold generations of riparian peoples, linking cultures across political borders.  Unfortunately, from the Nile to the Zambezi, many of these rivers have been dammed, diverted, dredged and polluted in the name of meeting water and…

The World Bank is poised to repeat the mistakes of the past in its embrace of megadams

By Joshua Klemm, Co-Executive Director As world leaders gather this week in Washington, DC for the World Bank’s Annual Meetings, over 100 civil society organizations are raising the alarm over the World Bank’s plans to lend billions of dollars for ill-conceived and destructive megadams around the world. A letter sent to the World Bank today…

Recognizing the Rights of the Biobío River: A New Era of Environmental Stewardship

By Monti Aguirre, Director, Latin America Program For the Spanish version, click here. The Biobío River was Chile’s first major river protection campaign, which later helped shape and inform efforts to protect iconic rivers in Patagonia. The lessons learned from the Biobío campaign laid the groundwork for future advocacy, driving the successful movements to safeguard rivers…

Reconociendo los Derechos del Río Biobío: Una Nueva Era para la Protección Ambiental

Por Monti Aguirre, Directora, Programa América Latina For English version, click here El Río Biobío fue la primera gran campaña de protección de ríos en Chile, y marcó un precedente que luego inspiraría e informaría los esfuerzos para proteger ríos icónicos en la Patagonia. Las lecciones aprendidas en la campaña por el Biobío sentaron las bases…

Vietnam’s Just Energy Transition Partnership is not ‘Just’

Poor financing and governance, suppression of activists put energy future at risk Opinion Editorial by Maureen Harris and Liangyi Chang originally published in Nikkei Asia. Below are highlights Relying heavily on coal, Vietnam is considered one of the fastest-growing per capita greenhouse gas emitters in the world, with emissions quadrupling between 2000 and 2015. It…

Statement | The Unjust Sentencing of Vietnamese Energy Expert Ms. Ngô Thị Tố Nhiên

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 26, 2024 CONTACT: v4climateleaders@gmail.com On June 27th, Vietnamese energy expert Ngô Thị Tố Nhiên (Nhien) was reportedly sentenced to three and a half years in prison during a closed-door trial in the capital, Hanoi. No formal information has been disclosed on the sentencing by Vietnamese state media.  Nhien is the former…

Statement | Dam collapse in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

Português abaixo e aqui International Rivers expresses its concern and solidarity over the unfolding tragedy in southern Brazil, where a partial dam collapsed after torrential rainfall at the 14 de Julho hydroelectric plant and unleashed a wall of water on communities downstream. At least 30 people have reportedly died and dozens more are missing. More…