World Rivers Review – March 2014

Date: 
Tuesday, March 18, 2014

The world of river activism has had its share of good news this quarter, and WRR helps you interpret it. Highlights include another serious blow to the big dams planned for Chilean Patagonia’s wild rivers; a growing trend of dam removals in Spain; widespread involvement for the International Day of Action for Rivers and the upcoming inaugural World Fish Migration Day, and policy strides on dams and rivers in the US and Colombia.

Of course, there were plenty of challenges, too. India appears to be hiding its Himalayan dam boom under the ill-defined label “run-of-river” – learn why “run of river” has become something of a “greenwash” label in India. In North America, Canada’s British Columbia is still in the backwoods when it comes to river protection; our center spread focuses on a campaign by local communities and NGOs to stop the proposed Site C hydropower project and protect BC’s Peace River. And in Ghana, the Chinese-built Bui Dam has left a trail of broken promises; this issue includes a first-hand account of what life is like for one resettled community.

Download the March 2014 issue. 

What's Inside:

  • Patagonia: New studies required of HydroAysén put dams on hold.
  • Commentary: Making an international incident of the Day of Action for Rivers. 
  • Dam Removal: Updates from Spain, Japan and the US.  
  • Policy: US Government budget bill takes on big dams and other bad developments.  
  • Canada: BC Hydro seeks to silence the Peace River. 
  • Colombia: High court puts dam builders on notice, strengthens standards.
  • India: Vaguely defined run-of-river dam projects proliferate in the Himalayas.
  • Ethiopia: New film shows the hydrological impacts of developments on the Omo River.
  • Ghana: Broken promises from Bui Dam Resettlement.
  • Policy: US Congress tightens strings on big dam projects at World Bank.