In the Media

The World Bank Group has halted millions of dollars worth of funding for the first phase of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC’s) Grand Inga Dam complex, sub-Saharan Africa’s largest-ever infrastructure project.

'If we cannot fish, what will we do?' asked one elderly woman, as she stood looking out over the Mekong River, in Siphandone, southern Laos. This is a question that is increasingly echoed by many whose lives have, for generations, centered around the river's abundance of fish, their migration routes and cycles; a way of life which may be on the brink of drastic change as a result of construction of the Don Sahong Dam.

This article originally appeared on PRI's Living on Earth. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is pushing ahead with plans to add a new dam to the largest hydroelectric dam complex in the world — without completing the social and environmental assessments required by law. The Inga 3 Dam on the Congo River, part of Grand Inga, the world's largest hydropower scheme, has long been touted by the World Bank and the World Energy Council as a model for Africa’s energy sector. Inga 3 would pump out 4800 megawatts of power, and the whole Inga system would generate 44,000 megawatts — bigger than

A surge in the number of dams along the Mekong, like this one in Thailand, is expected to alter the river’s flow in the years ahead, potentially making some areas less habitable. Jack Kurtz/Zuma This article originally appeared in Newsweek. Keo Yeun nods at the two metal rods, then at a small hole nearby, full of brown water. “It’s not magic,” he says, shrugging. “I’m experimenting with water, to survive.” Keo lives on a small farm near Cambodia’s ancient Angkor Wat temple complex, and what he is doing is equally venerable: dowsing, or divining for water, to help his famil

A fisherman in front of the Don Sahong cofferdam in Laos. International Rivers This article orginally appeared in Thanh Nien News. Construction work on the Don Sahong Dam in Laos is progressing at a rapid pace, amid urgent questions about its impacts on the food security and livelihoods of those near the site as well as up and downstream the Mekong River, according to International Rivers. Reports from the ground show that the Hou Sahong Channel, which is crucial to seasonal fish migration, is completely blocked, the environmental advocacy group said in a statement. It said the developer

กรุงเทพฯ ประเทศไทย: การก่อสร้างเขื่อนดอนสะโฮงกำลังคืบหน้าไปอย่างรวดเร็ว รายงานจากพื้นที่ระบุว่าขณะนี้มีการกั้นฮูสะโฮง ซึ่งเป็นช่องทางน้ำสำคัญที่สุดในพื้นที่สีพันดอน ที่ปลาใช้ว่ายอพยพตามฤดูกาล แต่ใครจะตอบค�

The ecology of the Mekong River could be destroyed within 10 years if dam projects along the river are allowed to continue, warn Thai and Cambodian non-government organizations.

Although mega dams can have devastating impacts on ecosystems and indigenous communities, many of the world's poorest countries still see them as a way to fill gaping holes in their energy supplies.

This article originally appeared in The Guardian. The first phase, Inga 3, is being fast-tracked by the government. Eventually the dam will span the vast Congo river, above, and cost 00bn. International Rivers Mega dam on Congo river to produce electricity equal to 20 large nuclear power stations, but critics say it will displace 60,000 people and wreck the ecosystem The largest dam in the world is set to begin construction within months and could be generating electricity in under five years. But 35,000 people may have to be relocated and it could be built without any environmental or

China's Nu River, spilling through a scenic gorge sometimes compared to the Grand Canyon, could become a national park, as officials appear to back away from a proposal for multiple dams.