Affected People

China's Nu River Hangs in the Balance, Part 3

The Nu River from above
This is part three of a three-part blog describing my recent trip to the Nu River valley in April 2011. All names have been changed to protect the identity of the interviewees. Part 1 sets the scene and Part 2 introduces voices from the ground. Where to Go From Here?The Nu River from above Katy Yan We ended our journey with a trip to the top of a mountain. Among the clouds, at an organic tea farm set among the foothills of the Himalayas, I had a perfect view of the Nu River as it meandered through the mountains. Many mountain towns have been relocated by the government to (sometimes litera

People’s Power Blocks Dam Construction in Northeast India

Activists return turbines for Lower Subansiri Dam to sender
Activists return turbines for Lower Subansiri Dam to sender With more than 150 dams proposed for construction and 11 projects in operation, Northeast India is one of the hotspots of global dam building. The biggest project under construction is the Lower Subansiri Dam on the border between the states of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. Social movements have organized massive protests against the mega-project in the Himalayan foothills over several years. In a huge success, they have just managed to send the turbines for the project back to the sender. As we have documented in our report, Moun

China's Nu River Hangs in the Balance, Part 2

Village near the proposed Fugong Dam site
This is part two of a three-part blog describing my recent trip to the Nu River valley in April 2011. All names have been changed to protect the identity of the interviewees. Part 1 sets the scene and Part 3 discusses the Nu River's future. "We will not move"Village near the proposed Fugong Dam site Katy Yan What made the long drives along windy roads bearable were the stops we made to talk to the local people. While none of the dams in Yunnan have been built, many villages have heard of them, and one village has already been relocated to state-built housing. In a small

China's Nu River Hangs in the Balance, Part 1

The Nu River's first bend in northern Yunnan Province, China
This is part one of a three-part blog describing my recent trip to the Nu River valley in April 2011. All names have been changed to protect the identity of the interviewees. Part 2 introduces the voices from the ground and Part 3 discusses the Nu River's future. The Nu River's first bend in northern Yunnan Province, China Green Watershed As a Chinese American growing up in the US, I saw China's mountains, rivers and valleys through my mom's traditional scroll paintings. Idyllic villages and small cottages dot green mountainsides of bamboo, pine, and palm. My recent journey

Saving Livelihoods and Face in Beijing

Closed door policy: Ikal Angelei at the gates of ICBC in Beijing
Closed door policy: Ikal Angelei at the gates of ICBC in Beijing The travels of Ikal Angelei, the passionate director of Friends of Lake Turkana, illustrate the changes in the global dam business. Fighting against the destructive Gibe III Dam in Ethiopia, Ikal has taken on managers of international financial institutions in Washington, Dakar and Prague, and mobilized allies at global civil society meetings in Turkey and Mexico. Her latest trip brought her to Beijing, where she addressed the role of China’s global dam financiers. I had the pleasure to travel with her. Here is an update. I

Drawing Lessons from Dams and Displacement

Carpenter in front of his home, before and after it was demolished
Carpenter in front of his home, before and after it was demolished Linda Butler, 2001 and 2003 "Art goes around our neatly arranged arguments. Art allows us to see beauty, feel joy and anger. Art doesn't follow a party line, but punches us in the stomach when we least expect it."- Peter Bosshard, opening of Artists Respond to Three Gorges. For the Three Gorges Dam, the world's largest and most (in)famous dam, you could throw around some impressive facts and figures and everyone would shake their heads at them: 1.3 million people displaced and 13 cities, 140 towns and 1,350

Indigenous Leaders Call Attention to Destructive Amazon Dams During European Tour

Almir Narayamoga Surui and Sheyla Yakarepi at protest outside BNDES office in London
Almir Narayamoga Surui and Sheyla Yakarepi at protest outside BNDES office in London Over the past two weeks, I had the privilege of joining indigenous leaders from Brazil and Peru on a tour of four cities in Europe, aimed at raising public awareness and stepping up international support for their campaigns against socially and environmentally destructive dams in the Amazon. The indigenous delegation, also accompanied by colleagues from Amazon Watch and Rainforest Foundation-UK, had a busy and varied agenda in each of the cities we visited, including public seminars, street demonstrations,

Commentary: Dams are a Women’s Issue

Waterfall at Juanacatlan, on the Santiago River
From March 2011 World Rivers Review There is wide recognition that the development of big dams has been especially harmful to women. Those behind the construction of dams have failed to protect the rights and welfare of those who are affected by these projects, and particularly have failed to resolve the problems caused to women and children. Many countries are signatories to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), which holds signatory countries accountable for specific actions to promote women's rights and legislation to ensure equal treatment

How Brazil's Dam Boom Hurts Women

Sheila Juruna, who would be affected by Belo Monte Dam, led a protest in Brasilia last month.
From March 2011 World Rivers ReviewThe building of hydroelectric dams in Brazil has been marked by a lack of respect for the environment and the affected communities, and especially of women. In Brazil, more than 2,000 dams have been built, resulting in the eviction of more than one million people from their lands. The federal government has proposed the construction of 1,400 more dams over the next 20 years. These major works come with false promises of jobs and development, respect for nature, "cheap" energy for the people, and guarantees of families' right to compensation. Sheila Juruna, w

Where Are Women’s Voices in Uganda's Dam Planning?

From March 2011 World Rivers Review"The Bujagali Dam project will bring tremendous opportunities you cannot afford to miss! It will transform your lives - it will provide good jobs for you and your children, your houses will be lit by electricity, clean running water will flow in your bath taps, good schools for your children, modern health centers and good roads running through your community." These were the tantalizing words told to the project-affected people by the Ugandan government and the Bujagali Dam developers to lure them into accepting the project, now under construction on the Ni

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