Successes

In a significant move for communities across Northeast India fighting the construction of harmful dams, on June 10th, 2012 the government of Sikkim announced plans to scrap the construction of four hydroelectric power projects on the Teesta River.

Myitsone Protest (courtesy of the BBC) The success of Burma's civil society groups in halting the Myitsone Dam may come as a surprise to many, but it is a product of the depth and strength of opposition to the project. It is also an indication that a different type of Burmese government is now in charge. The Burmese government's decision to suspend the controversial project on the headwaters of the Irrawaddy also highlights the serious risks of not engaging with civil society critics. The Myitsone Dam was one of the first projects to really "get under my skin" here at I

Lake Turkana World Heritage Site Alison M. Jones for www.nowater-nolife.org 像美国科罗拉多大峡谷、印度泰姬陵和中国长城这样的地方具有非常突出的文化或自然价值，以至于各国政府都承诺为后世保护和维护这些古 迹。联合国世界遗产委员会 （以下简称"委员会"）近日号召埃塞俄比亚政府和中国融资机构暂停吉贝三级水坝 项目以履行他们保护当地文化. 肯尼亚北部的图尔卡纳湖 是世界上位于沙漠中的最大湖泊。据世界遗产委员会称，它独特的生态系统�

Men holding protest sign Foto SER For over a month, close to 2,000 people in the Puno area of the Peruvian Amazon went on strike in an effort to convince the government to cancel mining concessions and the Inambari Dam. They blocked access roads to the region and held mass protests. To appease the strikers, the government established a high-level commission to review the Inambari Dam. After a tense meeting with local communities on June 13, Commission Chair and Vice-Minister of Energy Luis Gonzales Talledo cancelled the project, stating that the Brazilian consortium Egasur's rights to develo

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

Save the Mary River campaign This weekend, communities throughout the Mary River Valley in Australia will be partaking in some hard-earned festivities. One year ago, Australia's Environment Minister announced the rejection of the proposed Traveston Dam on the Mary River, due to its ''unacceptable impacts on matters of national environment significance.'' The Save the Mary campaign had won. It's been an intense four-year struggle for the Mary River Valley people and their allies, and the effort to restore the river and the community continues. The Mary River Catchment

Bhagirathi River at Gangotri, Uttarakhand, India Atarax42 For the third year in a row, one of India's most eminent scientists, Professor AD Agarwal, has carried out a "fast-unto-death" in protest against the 600 MW Loharinag Pala hydropower project in Uttarakhand, India. Last year, project construction stopped after Prof. Agarwal came close to dying on the 38th day of his fast, only to resume a year later. Earlier this week, lead by the Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, a group of ministers (GoM) announced they would scrap the project completely. As part of the decision, the go

Will Hasankeyf not be flooded by Chinese dam builders? peevishsoul A few years ago, Chinese dam builders and financiers appeared on the global hydropower market with a bang. China Exim Bank and companies such as Sinohydro started to take on large, destructive projects in countries like Burma and Sudan, which had before been shunned by the international community. Their emergence threatened to roll back progress regarding human rights and the environment which civil society had achieved over many years. However, new evidence suggests that Chinese dam builders and financiers are trying to beco