Maureen Harris

Maureen Harris's picture
International Rivers
Job title:
Southeast Asia Program Director
Tagline:
The river is everywhere
Personal bio:
Rivers sustain local livelihoods and cultures; a confluence of people and nature. An Australian lawyer by training, my work in Southeast Asia encompasses natural resource protection, community rights, and environmental justice.
Date: Thursday, April 19, 2018 - 14:08
The Lower Mekong countries are pushing forward with nearly a dozen "run-of-river" hydropower projects. But while "run-of-river" may sound innocuous, it's not.
Date: Tuesday, January 17, 2017 - 11:32
Developers and governments usually overlook how dams impact communities during the planning phase, before the dam is actually built. Yet these impacts can be adverse and severe; dam developers must account for them in future social safeguard policies.
Date: Thursday, December 22, 2016 - 22:07
The United Nations Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council recently published the outcome of communications on the human rights impacts of the Don Sahong Dam. Responses to concerns from the Government of Laos and Mekong River Commission highlight critical gaps in accountability in the development of the Don Sahong Dam and other hydropower projects on the Mekong River. They also demonstrate a lack of due regard in regional decision-making to the human rights impacts of the projects, especially on populations in neighboring countries. Recognizing and addressing these issues is crucial, as plans for the Pak Beng Dam, the third hydropower project on the Mekong in Laos, are rapidly moving forward.
Date: Sunday, August 7, 2016 - 16:45
In Cambodia, the Areng River Valley is home to the Chong ethnic group, one of the "original Khmer" groups believed to have lived in the valley for more than 400 years, as well as endangered species and mountainous jungles. The area provides food and traditional fishing jobs for indigenous populations. The proposed hydroelectric project on the Cheay Areng Dam threatens many of these important resources. If the dam is built, the valley will be flooded by a 10,000-hectare reservoir, and more than 1200 Chong people will be forcibly removed from their sacred land.
Date: Tuesday, April 26, 2016 - 20:18
In Preah Romkel, a Cambodian village situated on the banks of the Mekong River close to the Lao border, people are noticing dead fish in the waters that run past their home – lots of them. And their numbers are increasing.