The International Hydropower Association (IHA) published its 7th “Hydropower Status Report”. Report illustrates further decline of annually installed hydropower capacity, with “optimistic” estimate of only 15 GW added worldwide in 2019. We still tend to believe that the 12.5 GW figure from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) is more accurate, because random check on the IHAs figures shows that to cheer-up report readership results for some countries were exaggerated: by 90 MW in Russia, by 250 MW in Ethiopia, and by 400 MW in Tajikistan, etc. However, our …

Flood for thought: President Mirziyoyev at the site of the dam burst in the Sirdaryo region. (Photo: Presidential press service)

A dam that burst in the Uzbeksitan’s Sirdaryo region late last week has flooded thousands of homes and sent water rushing into villages in neighboring Kazakhstan. The newly built Sardoba Reservoir bursted short after construction of a hydropower plant started at its outlet. By the end of May 2, at least 75000 residents have been evacuated in two countries. This was …

Chinese workers celebrate completion of a hydropower project in Uzbekistan. March 2020

Global Civil Society Call on Chinese Authorities to Ensure that COVID-19 Financial Relief is Not Targeted to Harmful Projects along the Belt and Road.

On April 29, 2020, the Rivers without Boundaries along with other 260 civil society groups across the world called on the Chinese government to ensure that COVID-19 related financial relief for struggling Belt and Road projects flows only to high quality investments satisfying specific criteria, and avoid bailing out projects already mired in environmental, social, biodiversity, …

32GW drop in electricity demand caused by PM Modi’s demonstration of his authority over India’s citizens suffering lockdown

On April 3,
PM Modi appealed to Indians to turn out their lights for nine minutes at 9 p.m.
on Sunday. April 5th, to show solidarity amid the coronavirus lockdown with a
show of lamps, candles and flashlights. Critics say it was done to distract
attention from humanitarian problems caused by sudden country-wide lockdown imposed
on March 25.  “Salute to the light
of the lamp which brings auspiciousness, health and prosperity, which destroys
negative feelings,” Mr. Modi tweeted at …

Her Majesty’s Hydropower Construction at Cairngorms National Park (Image by ECOW. 2019)

The Daily Mail reported that the Queen has won over environmentalists an argument about developing 2MW hydropower scheme on River Muick in Scotland. The new hydro which affects natural ecosystems of Cairngorms National Park will supply the Balmoral royal estate and the expected net financial value of generation goes up to 650000 pounds a year. However, the 2020 report from IRENA on development of renewable energy proves that the Queen have chosen a failing unpopular technology, while many …

The Amur-Heilong River has a long history of environmental pollution, with the worst cases resulting from industrial accidents. People of China and Russia still vividly remember the great panic of 2005 when a chemical plant blasted in Jilin Province threatening by toxic spill Harbin and Habarovsk cities and dozens of smaller settlements downstream on Songhua and Amur rivers. That challenge spurred emergence of the modern environment policy of China as well as sped up development of Russian-Chinese cooperation on transboundary water bodies.

Ever since in China environmental
policies constantly improved and …