Press Release

Press Release l Brazilian Indigenous Group Occupies Amazon Dam, Halts Construction To Demand Rights

Saturday, July 15, 2017
At dawn on Sunday, July 16th, 200 representatives of the indigenous Munduruku nation occupied the main work camp of the São Manoel hydroelectric dam on the Teles Pires River in the Brazilian Amazon, paralyzing the project. Led by Munduruku women warriors, the occupiers presented a series of demands to dam developers and Brazilian government authorities, including the right to consultation, land titling, and respect for their cultural and spiritual sites. They also demanded that developers repair the grave environmental destruction inflicted by dams on the Teles Pires. In an open letter, th

Press Release | Sesan Families Face Forced Evictions and a Flooded Future

The Sesan River, before construction of the dam
Tuesday, July 18, 2017
On Saturday, the gates of the Lower Sesan 2 Hydropower Project in Stung Treng, Cambodia, were opened to commence filling of the reservoir for operations testing. Despite the near completion of the dam, the situation of up to 180 families who remain in Srekor and Kbal Romeas - two villages that will be flooded by the rising waters – remains unresolved.

Press Release l Inga 3 Dam Risks Plunging DRC Deeper Into Debt

New report finds that DRC likely to suffer financial losses, continuing energy poverty if hydropower project advances Tuesday, June 27, 2017 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Today, International Rivers is releasing the first in-depth economic study of the proposed Inga 3 hydropower project in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Authored by noted British economist Tim Jones, “In Debt and In The Dark” exposes glaring flaws in the assumptions about the dam’s likely performance. The report finds that Inga 3 will likely plunge DRC deeper into debt, exporting needed power and delivering little, if an

Save the Mekong Coalition Press Release: Prior Consultation for Pak Beng Dam Must be Extended

On Monday 19 June, the Joint Committee of the Mekong River Commission (MRC) will meet for a special session to discuss the Prior Consultation process for the Pak Beng Dam, and the positions of MRC member countries as expressed in their formal reply forms. The meeting marks the end of the first 6 months of the Prior Consultation process for the Pak Beng project.

Independent Expert Review: Pak Beng Studies are Inadequate For Meaningful Assessment and Regional Consultation

Monday, May 29, 2017
An independent review of the Pak Beng Dam’s Environmental Impact Assessment, commissioned by International Rivers, finds that the project studies are insufficient to meaningfully evaluate the dam’s environmental and social impacts - particularly the transboundary and cumulative impacts - as well as the viability of proposed impact mitigation measures.

Press Release l Celebrating Earth Day, Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities Mobilise in Brazil and Globally to Demand Recognition of their Rights and Role in Alleviating the Impending Climate Crisis; New Policy Brief Highlights Their Claims

Wednesday, April 19, 2017
As scientific evidence mounts of their key role in protecting ecosystems and climate stability, Brazil’s indigenous movement calls on the country’s Justice Minister to halt attacks on indigenous rights Indigenous Peoples, local communities, social movements, environmental activists, and women’s groups from 25 different countries today kicked off a week of protests, meetings, and events to demand respect for community land rights. A new policy brief highlights mounting scientific evidence that Indigenous Peoples and local communities are the best guardians of their lands and forests, ye

Press Release | Decision-Makers Must Recognize Irreversible Impacts of Dams on Mekong River and People’s Lives

International Rivers believes that recent comments attributed in the media to the CEO of the Mekong River Commission at the MRC Stakeholder Forum on the Pak Beng Dam and Council Study raise serious concerns about the role and positioning of the MRC Secretariat and the future of decision-making over hydropower development in the Mekong.

Press Release I Samba Parade Spotlights Threats To Rivers, Forests and Indigenous Rights at Rio's Carnival

Monday, February 27, 2017
Parade's message angered agri-business lobby, but provided an important opportunity for participants to highlight the importance of indigenous rights and environmental protection FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE International Rivers, Amazon Watch, Greenpeace - Brazil, Uma Gota no Oceano Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – In a colorful and highly energized samba parade at Rio de Janeiro's world-famous Carnival on Monday morning, Imperatriz Leopoldinense, one of Brazil's most traditional and respected samba schools, paid a special tribute to indigenous peoples of the Amazon's Xingu River, highlighting threats to

Press Release | Meaningful Reform and Basin-Wide Studies Needed Before Advancing New Mekong Dam

Wednesday, February 22, 2017
While the MRC does not have decision-making power over any given project, it has a mandate to promote cooperation for the equitable and sustainable use of the Mekong River. Given the importance of the Mekong to the region’s people, this means developing a credible, participatory and transparent process, which ensures that the voices of affected Mekong communities are addressed and that decision-making on Mekong dams is based on basin-wide comprehensive studies, including the MRC’s own Council Study.

Press Release | Concern as Pak Beng Dam Commences Prior Consultation

Monday, January 16, 2017
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE On Friday, the Mekong River Commission (MRC) held the first meeting of the Prior Consultation Process for the Pak Beng Dam – the third dam on the lower Mekong mainstream following the Xayaburi and Don Sahong Dams. Officials from Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand agreed at the Friday meeting on 20 December 2016 as the official start date for the procedure. The launch event comes two months after the government of Laos formally notified the MRC in November of its intention to move forward with the Pak Beng project. Project documents, including the Environmental Impact

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