Indigenous Peoples

Reflections from the Areng Valley

Areng Valley, site of the proposed Cheay Areng Dam
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.

Press Release | Brazilian Government Cancels Mega-Dam on the Amazon’s Tapajós River

Munduruku warriors dance in protest of planned Tapajós dams
Wednesday, August 3, 2016
Brazil’s Federal Environmental Agency (IBAMA) announced today that it has cancelled the licensing process for the controversial São Luiz do Tapajós mega-dam, the largest planned hydro project in the Amazon. International Rivers and AmazonWatch welcomed the decision as a great success and an important precedent case.

European funders suspend support for Agua Zarca Dam

The Agua Zarca dam construction site in Honduras
After another Honduran activist was murdered, FMO and Finnfund have suspended their support for Agua Zarca. What needs to happen next?

Agua Zarca: A Stain on the Dutch and Finnish Human Rights Record

Indigenous protest against FMO support for the Agua Zarca Dam
Continued support of the Agua Zarca Dam after Berta Cáceres' murder taints the credibility of the Dutch and Finnish human rights policies.

Who Killed Berta Cáceres?

Berta Cáceres
We don't know who fired the bullet that killed Berta Cáceres, but we know who shares a moral responsibility for this hideous crime.

As Blockade Against Sarawak Dam Continues, OECD Complaint Results in Unprecedented Agreement

Baram residents working in Kuala Lumpur file police reports asserting their opposition to the dam.
The blockade to stop the Baram Hydroelectric Dam in Sarawak, Malaysia from being built is now entering into its 21st month. Meanwhile, an OECD complaint lodged against Norconsult, a hydropower consultancy company operating in Sarawak, resulted in a precedent-setting agreement mandating them to respect indigenous peoples rights in Sarawak and beyond.

Amazonian Tribe Brings an Epic Battle for Indigenous Rights to the United Nations

Indigenous gathering at the Tapajos River
Monday, June 22, 2015
After fighting destructive Amazon dams at home for many years, indigenous leader Ademir Kaba Munduruku brought his people’s struggle to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on June 24. At an event organized by International Rivers, Amazon Watch and France Libertés, Ademir Kaba denounced the Brazilian government’s escalating abuses of indigenous rights in its rush to build an unprecedented series of hydroelectric dams across the Amazon.
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