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From World Rivers Review, June 2007 In Thailand they say that once you swim in the Mekong, it remains in your heart forever. It must be true, because my first swim in the Mekong in my early twenties gave me a connection to the river that motivates me to this day. That vast, muddy, beautiful river – with its Thai cities and villages on one side and mysterious Laos across the water captivated my imagination from the start. I knew then that I would be back. For more than a decade, working to protect the Mekong has consumed my professional life. During my first trip to Thailand for

The article "A Region's Thirst", by Ann-Kathrin Schneider, was first published in the magazine Himalmag in Sept 2007. It describes new trends in hydropower development and dam building in South Asia. It concludes that India is in the midst of a newfound drive to harness its water resources, and those of its neighbours, to secure an adequate supply of energy. "The myriad discussions and debates currently taking place in the Southasian social sphere over the future of large dams carry with them the potentail to achieve two goals. First, the integration of project-affected

This article by Ann-Kathrin Schneider first appeared in World Rivers Review in February 2007. It is a plea to the World Bank to take responsibility for the Bank's failed projects and to compensate those harmed by its failures. The article discusses the World Bank-funded National Drainage Project in Pakistan that violated six of the Bank's safeguard policies and led to the loss of lives and livelihoods in Sindh province, Pakistan.

This article by Alex Zahnd was first published in World Rivers Review in February 2005. He writes about a program that utilizes local renewable energy resources in more affordable, sustainable and appropriate ways. Family with an Electric Light Bulb in rural Nepal. (Alex Zahnd) "There is a clear relationship between poverty and access to electricity. The more remote the community, the greater its poverty level, and the higher the costs for electrification and other development projects. Approximately 85% of Nepal's 26.5 million people live in the rural areas and about half of t

Please see attachment below to download and look through our presentation made at the international conference: "A Greater Mekong: Poverty, Integration and Development" University of Sydney, Australia 26-27 September 2007

From September 2007 World Rivers Review Dam-free Hydro Taps Power of Waves, Tides, Water PipesThe sea heaves up, hangs loaded o'er the land, Breaks there, and buries its tumultuous strength. Robert Browning, Luria The world's hydropower is now mostly produced by big, destructive dams. But new technological advances bring promise for a new wave of hydropower projects that leave rivers intact, flood no land, and produce energy around the clock. Tapping the nearly limitless power of the waves, tides, rivers, and constructed water-supply systems has the potential to supply much of the world's pow

An Assessment of the Cameroonian Electricity Sector Reform In 2001, AES Corporation was the sole bidder in the sale of the Cameroonian electricity company. In accordance with the World Bank’s third structural adjustment credit project, the state–owned company was sold. Since then, consumers face regular blackouts and tariff increases and some investments have been made in new generation capacity. A new regulatory body has been set up, but it is not fully operative. With many sub–Saharan countries under similar pressure to sell their public utilities, this paper contributes to the unders

New Research Reveals Massive Impacts of Damming on World’s Large Rivers The extent to which dams affect the world’s large river systems is the focus of a major new study by a research team from the Landscape Ecology Group at Umeå University, Sweden. The rivers studied drain 54% of the world's land area and carry 60% of the planet's river-water. The researchers found that of 292 large river systems, 172 are affected by dams. WRR interviewed the researchers – Mats Dynesius and Christer Nilsson and Cathy Reidy – to discuss the significance of their findings. Q: Your res

from World Rivers Review  “The Zambezi River is the source of life for our families… [it] is generous and other users along with us benefit from it. We respect all of them as good neighbors, and we especially recognize the important role of Cahora Bassa dam… However, in the 30 years since the dam’s construction, we have lost productive lands along the river and on the islands. The reeds we use have disappeared. Fish in the river have also decreased. In the delta, the River arms are progressively drying up. The mangroves are threatened, and so too is the prawn fishery…”

Cover for "Unravelling Bhakra" This article by Ann-Kathrin Schneider reviews "Unravelling Bhakra", the book by Shripad Dharmadhikary on the myths of the Bhakra Dam. "The author asks whether the dam deserves the credit for having rescued India from hunger and famine, and from the demeaning position of being a receiver of food aid. The author finds very little evidence to prove Bhakra's alleged contribution to the country's development."