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From April 2015 World Rivers ReviewThe Yuba River in California where Jason first began his exploration of what makes a healthy river Photo by Jason Rainey Ten years ago, I stood with others in a circle at the South Yuba River, in my home watershed in Northern California. The fragrance of burning sage mixed with the earthy smell of the pine forest, and the soft rhythm of a hand drum could be heard through the steady roar of the river in full winter flow. Led by an elder, we were participating in an age-old indigenous “First Salmon Ceremony” to welcome the annual return of salmon to the ri

By the mid-1980s, river activists in the US had achieved considerable success. Congress had passed the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act in 1968, and a growing number of dams were being removed to bring rivers back to life. Yet internationally, challenges were mounting.

From April 2015 World Rivers ReviewPreparing for this final print issue of World Rivers Review has put us in a reflective mood. WRR has always been there to mark the key moments in the history of rivers and rights, to report on assaults on the world’s major rivers, and to decipher the complex issues that are brought to bear when a large dam is in the works. So as we say goodbye to the print version (look to our website in coming months for details on the next-gen online version!), let’s take a moment to remember our shared history as seen through WRR. We hope this quick snapshot, as seen

Climate change may be the most urgent global environmental issue of our time, bringing with it a host of challenges for rivers and dams. Rivers are key to ensuring the overall function of the planet’s ecosystems and the life that depends on them. Put simply, dams change rivers when they are needed most.

From April 2015 World Rivers ReviewFor this final issue of WRR, we turned to some of our regional staff in Asia to ask them about their important work. We spoke with Bharat Seth in India, Pianporn Deetes in Thailand, and our China team. What river stirs your heart the most? Bharat Seth on a field visit to the Alaknanda, a tributary of the Ganga, in Uttarakhand, India Bharat: My heart bleeds for the Yamuna. It is a river that flows through my city of birth. But it’s a sewage canal, and our city has no connect to the lifeline. The river is in need of a people’s movement, with government s

From April 2015 World Rivers ReviewEducating the public about the value of healthy rivers and the impacts of large dams has always been at the core of International Rivers’ mission. In fact, we existed as a newsletter before we became an organization. WRR covered a lot of ground in 30 years. For a time we even had Chinese and Hindi translations. Over the past 30 years, World Rivers Review has informed interested citizens, activists, researchers, government officials and dam builders about news and important developments from the world of rivers. With expertise and commitment, World Rivers R

From April 2015 World Rivers Review Lori Pottinger joined International Rivers in 1995 as the editor of World Rivers Review, and soon thereafter added our Africa program work to her plate. Over 20 years, she nurtured, developed, curated and honed our flagship publication. She has grown World Rivers Review from a slim black-and-white publication to a proud, full-color magazine with passion, skill and tenacity. On April 22, Lori moved on to become the communications manager of the new Water Policy Center at the Public Policy Institute of California. Lori has covered a broad range of topics for I

Around the world, the proponents of large dams consistently downplay or simply ignore the true socio-environmental consequences and risks of their projects, especially for local populations whose livelihoods depend upon healthy freshwater ecosystems. Such negligence too often is accompanied by gross violations of human rights, including the dispossession of indigenous peoples of their territorial land rights, and the outright denial of the internationally enshrined right to processes of free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC).

Meet Myint Zaw and Berta Cáceres – the 2015 Goldman Prize Winners who are being honored for dedicating their lives to protecting rivers and communities that depend on them. Watch the live stream of the ceremony on April 20 at 5:30 pm PDT here. Myint Zaw Photo Credit: Goldman Environmental Prize Myint Zaw Asia 2015 Goldman Prize Recipient Facing heavy government scrutiny and restricted use of tools like email or social media, Myint Zaw launched a national movement that successfully stopped construction of the Myitsone Dam on Myanmar’s treasured Irrawaddy River. After a bloody crackdo

The Board of Directors of International Rivers has appointed veteran staff member Peter Bosshard to serve as Interim Executive Director effective March 1st. Mr. Bosshard will take over from Jason Rainey, who has served as Executive Director since 2011 and announced his departure in January. “We are thrilled that Peter is willing and able to step into this role,” says Deborah Moore, Chair of the Board of Directors. “We believe that he has the vision, expertise, institutional history, and good relationships with partners and staff to foster cohesion and collaboration while we conduct our