Energy Planning

Corruption and Infrastructure Megaprojects in the DR Congo

The Inga II Dam
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
The Grand Inga Dam, planned for the Congo River in DR Congo, is being promoted by USAID, the World Bank and other international financiers But Africa's biggest hydropower project is a prime candidate for corruption. The project's US$80 billion price tag, coupled with the country's poor governance record and its unstable political climate, could be a recipe for fueling corruption. Learn more about the corruption in Congo, and its potential to derail the Inga dam scheme.

Um Clima Arriscado para Barragens na África Austral

The 13 major sub-basins of the Zambezi River Basin.
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Este estudo aprofundado adverte que as novas barragens, assim como as propostas no maior rio da África Austral não estão suficientemente preparadas para resistir aos choques das mudanças climáticas.

World Bank, Climate Change and Energy Financing: Something Old. Something New?

Friday, April 15, 2011
In April, 2011, we co-authored a report with Groundwork and Friends of the Earth on energy financing at the World Bank, titled "World Bank, Climate Change, and Energy Financing: Something Old. Something New?". Read the report below, and download the report at the link that follows. Download the report (courtesey of Scribd)

Why India Doesn't Need World Bank Energy Funding

Friday, June 3, 2011
Ahead of the release of the World Bank's revised energy strategy, the Ecologist speaks to sustainable development advocate Srinivas Krishnaswamy about why despite huge gigawatt power projects, 45 per cent of India's households still lack electricity Does India need the World Bank? Not really, if you are looking at funding from the World Bank for energy projects. The World Bank does not directly fund both of the energy projects coming up in India. Some of it is coming from the IFC but then you have the private sector also investing heavily into energy infrastructure. When it comes to

World Bank Would Restrain Finance for Coal Power in Energy Strategy Draft

Wednesday, March 30, 2011
The World Bank is considering limiting its financing of coal-fired power plants to the poorest countries as part of a new energy strategy, a draft prepared for the board of directors shows. Staff at the Washington-based lender have made proposals seeking to reconcile the need for broader energy access in developing economies with the challenges of climate change. They also stressed the “tremendous potential” for developing hydroelectric power in the document dated March 16, a copy of which was obtained by Bloomberg. World Bank President Robert Zoellick last year urged countries to move a

European Parliament Urges World Bank Out of Large Dams

The European Parliament Resolves Against Large Dams
The European Parliament Resolves Against Large Dams In a resolution passed last week, the European Parliament urged the World Bank to stay out of investing in large dams.  While the resolution is non-binding, the request illustrated a growing concern over the social, environmental, and operating risks of hydroelectric dams with large reservoirs.  In a world where climate change-related drought is increasing the tendency for river flow and reservoir capacity to reduce, the Parliament's resolution has struck a good tone.  The resolution was aimed at influencing the World Bank's cu

Uncovering the Mekong Region’s New Dam Proponents

Friday, December 10, 2010
From December 2010 World Rivers Review In the Mekong region, ongoing economic growth despite the global economic crisis continues to drive a push for extensive dam-building. Since we last reported on the Mekong region's new dam builders from Thailand, Vietnam and China in 2007, these developers have proposed even more ambitious and controversial projects, including a cascade of 11 dams on the Mekong River's mainstream (see "New Report Urges Ten-Year Dam-Building Freeze on Mekong"). Climate change is increasingly cited as a justification for dam building, as is a serious drought and then fl

Hydrodependency in Africa: Risky Business

Thursday, September 9, 2010
From September 2010 World Rivers Review The world gets about 20% of its electricity from hydropower, but in Sub-Saharan Africa that number is 60% (excluding coal-heavy South Africa) – and many countries get more than 80% of their electricity from dams. Drought-caused blackouts are common, and expected to get worse with climate change. Hundreds more dams are being planned, many of them in already dangerously hydro-dependent regions. This map shows the current status of hydrodependency across the continent, and plots some key proposed dams in these places. Finally, we include some informati

Who Said It Couldn't Be Done?

The most comprehensive guidelines for large dams that protect the rights of river-dependent communities were outlined by the World Commission on Dams (WCD) report in 2000. When it was published, dam-affected communities and their allies worldwide celebrated its recommendations, which charted a better way forward for dam-building and community-centered development. Many governments and institutions took up the challenge of adopting the WCD framework through national dialogues, some of which have led to real policy changes. However, other groups, like the dam industry and the World Bank (wh

Pages

Subscribe to RSS - Energy Planning