In the Media

One year after the devastating collapse of saddle dam D of the Xe Pian-Xe Namnoy hydropower project in southern Laos, none of the entities backing and profiting from the project have been held accountable, according to a joint report released today by International Rivers and Inclusive Development International.

On the occasion of the visit of African Development Bank (AfDB) President Akinwumi Adesina to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), International Rivers calls on the institution to withdraw its support from the Inga 3 Dam. President Adesina was scheduled to visit the Inga site on Wednesday, June 19 as part of his four-day visit to the country. In 2013, the AfDB approved a $68 million grant to provide technical assistance to get Inga 3 off the ground. Years on, the project is no closer to coming to fruition, and most of the AfDB’s funds remain unspent. The World Bank had agreed to contribut

Last month, the New York Times ran a piece of propaganda and misinformation masquerading as news. The piece was entitled “Employment on Hydropower Project in Laos Delivers Better Lives,” and it was created and paid for by the China Daily, the English-language mouthpiece for the People’s Republic of China. Its aim? To paint a rosy picture of a highly destructive set of dams currently under construction in Southeast Asia: the Nam Ou Hydropower Cascade. The cascade is contributing to the Laotian government’s objective of transforming the country through extensive hydropower development,

“The Mekong River is a river of life, not a commercial river” FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Mr. Niwat Roykaew, founder of the Rak Chiang Khong Group in northern Thailand, has shared a letter he received on behalf of the Network of Thai People in Eight Mekong Provinces from Mr. Don Pramudwinai, the Thai Minister of Foreign Affairs, that confirms media reports in March of China’s agreement to halt the Mekong ‘rapids blasting’ project. The letter from the Minister states that he has emphasized the concerns of Thai communities and environmental groups towards the ‘International Navigatio

The hydropower industry is on a desperate quest to recast itself as a green energy source for the future. It would be laughable if it didn’t actually run the risk of succeeding.

Protests Challenge Hydropower Companies at Global Event in Paris Civil society organizations denounce corporate attempts to label hydroelectric dams as “green energy”, citing human rights abuses and environmental damage Paris (15.0519). A broad coalition of environmental and human rights organizations held a peaceful protest against destructive hydroelectric dam projects at the opening of the World Hydropower Congress in Paris. Following the protest, a delegation of Munduruku indigenous leaders from the Brazilian Amazon attempted to hand deliver a letter to the headquarters of French ene

Women harvest kai on the Mekong. Pai Deetes | International Rivers This article originally appeared in Asia Times. Usually at this time of year during the dry season in northern Thailand, the Mekong River recedes, and sand and pebble beaches appear. Covering the pebbles, through the clear and shallow water, one can see the pale green kai, a river weed of the Mekong. This sight is a signal to women in communities along the Mekong near the Thai- Laotian border to wade into the water to collect kai, which they dry, feed to their families, and sell at the market. But this year the Mekong levels s

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Today, International Rivers releases a new factsheet, Tragic Trade-Offs: The MRC Council Study and the Impacts of Hydropower Development on the Mekong. The factsheet summarizes key findings and recommendations of the Mekong River Commission’s (MRC) 2018 ‘Study on the Sustainable Development and Management of the Mekong River, including Impacts of Mainstream Hydropower Projects’ (known as the ‘Council Study’). The findings of the Council Study clearly show that the plans for 11 large hydropower dams on the lower Mekong mainstream and 120 tributary dams by 2040

Fishery in the Mekong River could be affected by the navigation project This article originally appeared in The Nation. Mekong’s future remains uncertain as Thailand lights fuse on rapids-blasting project As a new year dawns, the waters of the Mekong River remain turbulent with uncertainty. While many take holidays and prepare for the new year, the people of the Mekong face an unknown future. Earlier this month, residents along the Mekong in Chiang Rai were preparing to participate in a public hearing about a project to canalise the Lancang-Mekong, popularly known as the Mekong “rapid