International Voices Unite on Day of Action for Rivers

By: 
Kate Ross
Save the Tigris Campaign, Baghdad, Iraq
Save the Tigris Campaign, Baghdad, Iraq

In remote villages and large cities, along rivers and lakes, from New Zealand to Russia to the US, more than 150 actions took place this year in 40 countries to honor the 16th annual International Day of Action for Rivers. The last few weeks have been spent poring through action alerts, press releases, emails, media and photos from Day of Action for Rivers events, some of which lasted a week or – in the case of the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum – a year! Thank you to everyone who has shared information and photos from you events.

One of the photos that stuck in my mind was taken on March 14th in Baghdad, where volunteers from the Iraqi People’s campaign to Save the Tigris handed out information about the International Day of Action for Rivers and spoke with people in the streets. The photo shows signs along the streets including the Day of Action for Rivers logo in English and Portuguese, along with photos of past Day of Action for Rivers events from Patagonia, Chile and Cambodia. This one photo encapsulates so much of what the International Day of Action for Rivers means to me: It joins together campaigns in Iraq, Turkey, Brazil, Chile and Cambodia, uniting these voices. Communities around the world not only speak out about their own river, their own fights, but also show solidarity for similar struggles taking place on the other side of the world, for example against the Belo Monte Dam in Brazil.

The Peoples Movement for Subansiri Brahmaputra Valley
The Peoples Movement for Subansiri Brahmaputra Valley

While I'm not able to write about each individual action, I hope that you'll take a look at our global map of actions to see the international spread of protests, celebrations, workshops, film screenings and river events, along with photos below.

Here's just a glimpse of some of the incredible actions that covered the globe this March 14th:

  • Marking their ninth year of continuous participation in the International Day of Action for Rivers, the Peoples Movement for Subansiri Brahmaputra Valley held a day-long program in opposition to the construction of the 2,000 MW Lower Subansiri hydroelectric project in the Subansiri Valley of Assam, India.

  • A water action group in Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China kayaked the Nanxi River with signs that read “Protect the Nanxi River, it is everyone's responsibility" and "Actions Today Benefit Future Generations.”

Protests agains the Ban Koum Dam in Thailand
Protests agains the Ban Koum Dam in Thailand 
  • An International Day of Action for Rivers event was held in Tamui Village, Ubon Rachtani Province, Thailand. The villagers protested against the Ban Koum Dam, which is one of the projects proposed on the Mekong River mainstream. The dam would be located in Laos very close to the Thai border. The villagers wore white paint as part of a performance about how the dam would destroy their lives.

The Russian River has a story, at the Patagonia store in San Francisco, CA
The Russian River has a story, at the Patagonia store in San Francisco, CA
  • International Rivers organized two events at Patagonia stores in the Bay Area. Along with local partners Beyond Searsville Dam, American Rivers and Tuolumne River Trust, we spoke about the local and international movements to protect rivers and the Day of Action for Rivers events happening around the world. We shared river stories that we had gathered and showed the trailer for DamNation along with the feature film Streams of Consequence, which looks at the struggle to protect two of Patagonia’s most wild and powerful rivers – the Baker and the Pascua. Streams of Consequence showed in four different locations on March 14th – San Francisco and Palo Alto, California; Boulder, Colorado; and Santiago, Chile.

  • JA! Mozambique and partners held a demonstration in Maputo in front of the World Bank with a banner and handouts with info about World Bank dam financing, including examples, information and critiques of their reports.

Chiapas Mexico, solidarity with Temaca
Chiapas Mexico, solidarity with Temaca
  • In Chiapas, Mexico people gathered in San Cristobal de las Casas to share messages of solidarity against hydropower projects planned throughout Mexico and Latin America, including El Zapotillo Dam in Temacapulín, El Quimbo Dam in Colombia and the Belo Monte Dam in Brazil.

See the full map and description of events. You can also read, see and listen to the river stories that we've been gathering from around the world. Be inspired and consider sharing your own story with us, stories@internationalrivers.org.

Now more than ever it is essential that we speak and act together to demonstrate the global importance of the world’s rivers. Each local struggle is part of a bigger global struggle, and the International Day of Action for Rivers shows just how far-reaching our love for rivers really is.

Date: 
Wednesday, March 27, 2013