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Rivers [said 6th century BC Taoist engineer Chia Jang] were like the mouths of infants - if one tried to stop them up they only yelled the louder or were suffocated.- Joseph Needham, Science and Civilization in China, 1971 The devastating floods in Pakistan have once again ignited public debate on the necessity of new water reservoirs in the country. The proponents of Kalabagh Dam, including some prominent politicians, TV anchorpersons, and Punjab water engineers, hold that if Kalabagh Dam had been built, we would not be facing the present disaster wreaked upon millions of people in the Indus

An article has been published in Science Magazine about the mega-hydroelectric development threat to Chile's Patagonia. This article is particularly noteworthy because of the analysis that considers the potential impacts of both the massive HidroAysén project, as well as the proposal by Xstrata subsidiary Energía Austral to build another series of large dams in the region of Aysén. The article is worth the read, and is available for download below. Science July23 2010 DamsforPatagonia

From June 2010 World Rivers Review Ethiopia's Gibe 3 Dam is one of the most destructive hydropower projects being built today. If completed, it would destroy fragile ecosystems on which 500,000 poor indigenous people depend for their survival. A worldwide civil society campaign has held international financial institutions at bay for several years. Lake Turkana is threatened by reduced flows from Gibe 3 Dam upstream Friends of Lake Turkana In mid-May, however, the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) offered to step in with a US$500 million loan. If the loan goes through, China's

From June 2010 World Rivers ReviewKayak activists in Spain, part of COAGRET’s weekend of actions on May 14, 2010. We've always known that river activists are a dedicated lot, but even we were surprised by one group's actions on the International Day of Action for Rivers this year. Chile's devastating earthquake hit the nation's main dam-building area at the end of February, leaving the region in chaos. But that didn't stop local activists from speaking out for healthy rivers. Though they planned to hold their action on the designated day, March 14, the rattled advocates just postponed thei

From June 2010 World Rivers ReviewBui Dam resetttlement site Clement Otu-Tei Hydropower plays a major role in Ghana's energy supply. Demand for energy is rising and despite strategies to diversify the energy supply (for example, through a new gas pipeline), hydro schemes remain high in the government's National Strategic Energy Plan. Ghana now has two major dams: the Akosombo and Kpong dams, whose considerable social and environmental problems still linger today, decades after they were built. Another large dam, Bui, is being built by a Chinese company. Ghana's Dams Dialogue, inspired by the

From June 2010 World Rivers ReviewThe Government of Kenya learned about the unreliability of hydropower the hard way. In recent years, drought crippled its hydropower-dependent energy system many times (about two-thirds of the nation's electricity currently comes from dams). But unlike many other drought-prone African nations, Kenya has taken steps to analyze its energy options and work to diversify its supply. After two months of power rationing in 2009, Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga said "The country can no longer continue to rely on hydroelectric power supply." The government wants to

From June 2010 World Rivers ReviewIn Uganda, we began working to popularize the WCD recommendations immediately after the report was launched in 2000. We formed a multi-stakeholder forum, called the Uganda Dams Dialogue, which brought all the major stakeholders together. We had participation from the Ministry of Energy, Ministry of Water and Environment, the National Environment Management Authority, the Prime Minister's office, representatives of NGOs, dam-affected people, dam developers, the media and the cultural institutions. The Secretariat was hosted by NGOs represented by my organizatio

From June 2010 World Rivers Review In the 10 years since the World Commission on Dams (WCD) released its landmark "Dams and Development" report, no single dam project has exemplified the full scope of its cutting-edge approach, and most dam building nations have failed to implement the WCD framework. But there have been some projects that demonstrate WCD principles in action, as well as laws and policies that reflect the principles espoused by the WCD. Here we highlight a few of these positive examples. Tribal fishermen have fought for dam removal on the Klamath for years Bob Dawson Addres

From June 2010 World Rivers Review In 1999, a Sudanese government delegation traveled around the world to raise funds for the planned Merowe Dam on the Nile. It returned home empty-handed. Export credit agencies from France, Canada and other countries turned the project down because of serious concerns over its human rights impacts. Their caution was a sign of the times. Throughout the 1990s, funding for large dams dwindled over environmental and human rights concerns. The temporary camp for Merowe Dam affected people. A rude awakening soon followed. Chinese companies gained the know-how

From June 2010 World Rivers Review The Hydro Industry's Latest Attempt to Greenwash DamsThe International Hydropower Association most likely won't be celebrating the World Commission on Dams' tenth anniversary this year, but the dam builders' organization will be hosting its own private party. Dam-affected people and Southern civil society groups are not invited - they might bring an unwelcome dose of reality. The guests of honor at this party will be big funders of big dams: public and private banks, export credit agencies and buyers of carbon credits. The reason for this self-congratulator