Ulaanbaatar – Today Rivers without Boundaries Mongolia addressed domestic and international media with the following message.
In mid-February, community representatives from Russia and Mongolia – along with several of environmental and human rights NGOs – submitted a request for an investigation to the World Bank’s independent accountability arm, the Inspection Panel. The complainants center on the Mongolian Mining Infrastructure Investment Support Project (MINIS). Specifically, they raise concerns regarding the Shuren Hydropower Plant and the Orkhon-Gobi Water Diversion. For example, the WB completely disregards its own operational policy OP 4.04 – …

 
International environmental and civil rights groups are outraged by the Great Khural (Mongolian Parliament) passing amendments  to the Law with the Long Name (LLN) on the last day  of Lunar year. Exact amendments as of yesterday were not available to the public and even to ministry officials, but information was leaked that changes are  related to granting license-holder with a right to exploit their deposits for two-years despite the fact those deposits are located in water and forest protection zones. 

The package that was discussed on February 18th contain …

General situation with the “LAW TO  PROHIBIT MINERAL EXPLORATION AND MINING OPERATIONS AT HEADWATERS OF RIVERS, PROTECTED ZONES OF WATER RESERVOIRS AND FORESTED AREAS”
5 years and 6 months have already passed since the adoption of the Law on Prohibiting Mineral Exploration and Extraction Near Water Sources, Water Protection Zones and Forests (Law with Long Name-LLN).
These days new government is planning to again work on changes to this law and doing everything to amend or revoke it. United Movement of Mongolian Rivers and Lakes has been working hard locally to …

 
Yesterday the level of the largest lake on Earth was lowered below the 456,00 meters according to Pacific measurement system. This happens the first time in 21 century and indicates  serious threats to the Lakes’ ecosystem from hydropower sector. The sacred lake became a water reservoir in 1960, when Irkutskaya Hydro was built and since then it experienced unnatural fluctuation of water level with profound negative impacts on ecosystem and local communities of the Lake Baikal World Heritage Site. In 2001 to limit freedom of hydropower dam owners in use …

People living in the basin of the Selenga river in Russia and Mongolia, together with a number of environmental NGOs, filed a petition to the World Bank Inspection Panel demanding that the feasibility studies of dangerous hydro-electric power plants (HPP) projects must be postponed and the WB MINIS project thoroughly investigated.
Two national coordinators of the Rivers without Boundaries Coalition- D.Sukhgerel and A.Kolotov are the designated contact points for those who filed petition in Mongolia and Russia. Alexander Kolotov explains that the WB violated basic rights of all stakeholders who, according …