In 1985, a dedicated group of volunteers united around a shared vision to develop a worldwide network to protect rivers and promote just and sustainable energy options. Today, that movement is still going strong. Join us in celebrating the communities and partners who oppose destructive hydropower, protect rivers, and advocate for the rights of rivers and riverine communities.
On March 14, 2025, communities worldwide will come together for the 28th Day of Action for Rivers. We invite you to join us on this day of celebration to honor rivers, the communities that defend them, and their critical importance to sustaining all life on our planet. The theme of this year’s International Day of Action for Rivers is Our Rivers, Our Future. We’ll shine a spotlight on the role of rivers in supporting our planet’s health and all life on Earth.
Since 1985, International Rivers has been at the heart of the global movement to ensure river-dependent communities’ voices are heard and their rights are respected.
Rivers are the arteries of the earth, supporting the highest rate of biodiversity compared to any other ecosystem and providing for the livelihoods of millions of local, indigenous and traditional peoples. Rivers are also under extreme threat, with less than 10% of the world’s river basins protected.
International Rivers strengthens movements of communities and civil society at the forefront of defending rivers by:
• Undertaking investigative research to generate robust data and evidence to inform policies and campaigns.
• Remaining independent and fearless in campaigning to expose and resist destructive projects.
• Developing a vision that protects rivers and the communities that depend upon them.
How a battle over development on a California river helped inspire the founding of International Rivers and a global movement to amplify the voices of rivers and riverine communities. By Kate Fried Nearly 60 years ago, a self-described “awkward” teenager from Sacramento, California, named Mark Dubois, met the most powerful teacher of his life–the Stanislaus…
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Statement by Josh Klemm and Isabella Winkler, Co-Executive Directors, International Rivers “Last month, a jury in North Dakota delivered a devastating ruling against Greenpeace USA, deciding that the climate justice organization must pay Energy Transfer Partners, the company behind the Dakota Access Pipeline, $660 million in one of the most high-profile defamation judgements in recent…
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