Programs

A major resurgence in dam construction worldwide is being driven by infusions of new capital from developing countries and a campaign by the dam-building industry to greenwash hydropower as a source of clean energy.  Most new large dams today are being built in the global South, in some of the world's last great free-flowing-river basins.  Governments and industries are pushing forward cascades of massive dams, often in places where local people have little political clout and where the damage to natural resources that dams cause threaten their ability to survive.

Africa

Africa is considered a land of plenty for the large-dam industry – lots of massive rivers and high need for electricity. Hundreds of large dams are planned for major African rivers. Yet Africa’s existing large dams have done little to "light up Africa," and have left a trail of development-induced poverty in their wake. Climate change poses another huge risk for the continent's existing and proposed dams.

Banks and Dam Builders

Assembly of the Poor, Thailand, protesting against World Bank-funded dams
Dams are a risky business – for affected people, the environment, and investors. Funders often decide which projects go forward, and which standards they have to meet. Learn how we hold public and private funders accountable for the dam projects which they finance.

China

Dammed, diverted and polluted, China's rivers have reached their ecological tipping point. China has more large dams than any other country in the world, including the world's largest – the Three Gorges Dam. Yet despite the critical state of China’s rivers, the Chinese government has ambitious plans to expand hydropower generation in some of China's few remaining pristine and high bioviersity value river basins ecosystems in remote southwest China – the Lancang (Mekong), the Nu (Salween), the Yarlung Tsangpo (Brahmaputra), and the Jinsha (upstream of the Three Gorges Dam in the Yangtze R

Climate Change and Rivers

Dead trees in Balbina Reservoir, Brazil
Large dams are the wrong choice for a warming world for three key reasons. First, river flows are increasingly unpredictable, yet new dams are being based on hydrology that is no longer valid. Second, dams can be significant sources of greenhouse gases. Finally, healthy rivers are critical for supporting life on Earth; damming them makes it harder for people and ecosystems to adapt to climate change.

Latin America

The rivers of Latin America are a target of dam-builders to be exploited for electricity and irrigation. This vast and ecologically diverse region is known for the power and beauty of its river systems – the Amazon, the world´s largest river basin; the Paraguay and Paraná rivers and their wetland ecosystems; the Usamacinta River flowing through Mayan rainforests; and the crystaline waters of the rivers of Patagonia.

South Asia

The Seti River in Western Nepal, site of the planned 750MW West Seti project.
Great rivers are the cultural and economic backbone of South Asia. The Ganges, Indus and Brahmaputra have contributed to the rise and prosperity of some of the earliest civilizations in history and today are the source of livelihood for millions. However, large-scale water development schemes have in the past contributed to the impoverishment of many river basin communities in South Asia.

Southeast Asia

Boys fishing in the Xe Bang Fai River, Laos.
Rivers play a central role in the lives of millions of people in Southeast Asia. Rivers and their catchments - the lifeblood of the region - are increasingly threatened by ill-conceived development schemes. The Mekong Region is the main focus of International Rivers' work in Southeast Asia. Yet this beautiful, dynamic and thriving river system is under threat and the next decade is critical for the future of the Mekong.

Strengthening Standards

Costa Rican national forum against dams
Dams can degrade ecosystems, displace communities, flood forests and farmland, and create unsustainable debt burdens. Strict social and environmental standards are needed to identify water and energy projects that best address the needs of society, the environment, and the economy. We promote effective standards at the World Bank Group and other government and financial institutions, and defend existing high standards against a backlash from the dam industry.

Other Regions & Topics

Our regional programs focus on Africa, China, Latin America, South Asia and Southeast Asia, but we also occasionally work with partners in other areas or on specific topics. This section offers information on a few regions where we have worked outside these areas.