Report

Introduction and Article "The Madeira Hydroelectric and Hidrovia project – Cornerstone of IIRSA"

Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Article on the history of the Madeira River complex, and the Brazilian government´s efforts to gain approval for the project, no matter what the cost.

The New Great Walls: A Guide to China’s Overseas Dam Industry

Monday, November 26, 2012
Chinese dam builders have come to dominate the world market. Civil society groups have expressed concerns about the social and environmental impacts of numerous Chinese dams in Africa, Asia and Latin America. This NGO guide published by International Rivers presents the lessons of past experience and informs interested NGOs how they can best influence the projects and policies of Chinese dam builders and advocate for social and environmental interests.

Muddy Waters: Impacts of Damming the Amazon's Principal Tributary

Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Muddy Waters: Impacts of Damming the Amazon's Principal Tributary examines the Madeira River Hydroelectric and Waterway Complex in the Brazilian Amazon. With articles on the history of the project, hydrology and sedimentation, fish and fisheries, mercury, and socio-economic issues, the 240-pp. book published in Portuguese is an important tool for communities, activists, journalists, and others, including public officials to deepen their understanding of key issues affecting the project, as well as potential implications of building the dams. The authors include specialists in their field, and

International Rivers' Comments on Draft EU Rules for Assessing WCD Compliance

Large hydro projects (>20 MW) that generate Clean Development Mechanism credits that are used in the European Emissions Trading System (ETS), need to comply with the World Commission on Dams' recommendations, according to the EU's Linking Directive. The European Commission is currently drafting guidelines for EU member states on how to assess WCD compliance. In May 2008, the European Commission shared a draft paper and WCD compliance report with some stakeholders, including International Rivers, and requested comments. Please find below a link to International Rivers' comments on the draft

Critique of the WCD Compliance Report for Xiaoxi Large Hydro Dam, China

Sunday, June 1, 2008
The following assessment by International Rivers compares the compliance report for the 135 MW Xiaoxi Dam to the Strategic Priorities of the World Commission on Dams, and the requirements of the German Emissions Trading Authority. The report is of very low quality and does not provide a basis for the German government to accept the project as WCD compatible. Background: German-based power utility RWE is one of the biggest CO2 emitters in Europe, with emissions of more than 120 million tonnes of CO2 per year, mainly from coal plants. In place of reducing its emissions, RWE intends to buy CDM

Report from WEC's Inga Financing Workshop in London, 21-22 April 2008

Thursday, May 22, 2008
View workshop presentations. Participation Approximately 84 participants gathered at the meeting in London. The final participant list shows that there were 4 African governments represented (DRC, Nigeria, Namibia, and Botswana); 9 African utilities (Angola, Botswana, Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria, Namibia, and South Africa, Zambia). Among those invited who did not attend were: African governments of Cameroon, South Africa, and Uganda, and the African Union. The African Development Bank (AfDB) was also a weighty no show, soliciting multiple, frustrated comments by workshop participants. In A

Bad Deal for the Planet: Why Carbon Offsets Aren't Working...and How to Create a Fair Global Climate Accord

Wednesday, May 21, 2008
International Rivers' third annual "Dams, Rivers & People" report explains the failure of the world's biggest carbon offsets program to make a dent in greenhouse-gas emissions. It also maps the world of rivers and dams for the past year and pinpoints hotspots for the coming year. Efforts to solve the climate crisis are stumbling over poorly designed carbon-offset programs. One of the biggest programs created in Kyoto - the Clean Development Mechanism - has proven to be a huge failure that is actually increasing greenhouse gas emissions behind the guise of promoting

中国在非洲的环境足迹

Tuesday, May 13, 2008
伴随着涉足非洲的经济，中国快速扩大了在非洲的环境足迹。中国对非洲战略的一个重要目标在于，开发迄今尚未得到的资源。此类资源通常位于生态脆弱及深陷腐败和冲突的国家。作为非洲发展的长期伙伴，中国对于解决其工程项目对环境造成的影响非常关注。中国政府出台了海外投资影响的指导方针，但仍需进一步加强。   《中国在非洲的环境足迹》研究了中国的非洲战略，并且分析了与西方国家做法的异同。本文详细阐述了中国战略的环

China's Environmental Footprint in Africa

Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Download the report (PDF, 500KB) Report translation in Chinese Along with its economic presence, China has rapidly expanded its environmental footprint in Africa. An important objective of China's Africa strategy is to extract natural resources which have so far not been accessible. Such resources are often located in fragile ecosystems and countries plagued by corruption and conflict. As a long-term partner in Africa's development, China has an interest in addressing the environmental impacts of its projects. The Chinese government has issued guidelines on the impacts of ove

Ethiopia's Endangered Lower Omo Valley

Monday, January 26, 2009
“The rise and fall of the Omo waters is the heartbeat of the Lower Omo Valley. More than any other single factor, the river determines everyday economic practice throughout the region.” Download Facing Gibe 3 Dam: Indigenous Communities of Ethiopia's Lower Omo Valley January 2009 (200 KB)The Lower Omo Valley is home to a half million people, a significant number of whom practice flood retreat cultivation and other traditional agro-pastoralist livelihoods. At least eight distinct indigenous communities depend on the Omo River’s flood cycle: the Mursi, Bodi, Muguji (Kwegu

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