ADDRESS AT THE LAUNCH OF THE FINAL REPORT OF THE WORLD COMMISSION ON DAMS.
LONDON, 16 NOVEMBER 2000 (excerpts)
 
Friends !
 
It really gives me great pleasure to be present at and participate in this occasion of the launch of the report of the World Commission on Dams.…
 
I am aware that the issue of dams and their benefits and impacts has become one of the battlegrounds in the sustainable development arena. The establishment of the Commission was well timed and its report will certainly be an important contribution to those debates and our …

Russia is concerned about Mongolia’s plan to construct the Shuren  hydroelectric power plant on Selenga River that could adversely affect the ecosystem of Lake Baikal.

At a recent meeting of the National  Security Council  Russian President urged to develop Ecological Security Strategy for Russia  to protect it from “domestic and transboundary threats” and singled out the Lake Baikal as the most important natural site to be protected.
On October 28 at the meeting of Russian-Mongolian Committee on Environmental Issues the Russian chairman Amirkhan Amirkhanov declared that planning of Shuren Hydro on the main …

The Aras (Araks) River is the biggest tributary to Kura River system that flows from Turkey to Armenia, Azerbaijan and Iran.
Map from Kura-Aras GEF Project
If the Tuzluca dam is constructed in the Aras Valley in Turkey right before Aras River becomes the border with Armenia, the feeding, breeding and wintering areas for at least 240 bird species and nearly 100 mammal, reptile and amphibian species will be destroyed. This includes 36 animal species threatened or near threatened with extinction. With more research, it is thought that HALF of all land animal species in …

Major offence on environmental movement launched in Russia by seizing Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise acquires yet another dimension – skillful provocations staged by police in cooperation with  of big business.
 
On Novemeber 29  Police in Russia have detained two people formerly linked to an environmental protest movement for alleged extortion in a case activists say is a crude attempt to discredit their campaign.
Mikhail Bezmensky and Igor Zhitenyov stand accused of attempting to extort 15 million rubles ($450,000) from the Ural Mining and Metallurgical Company UMMC, police said Friday.The Interior Ministry said in a …

Mongolian Mining Journal published a very informative description of changes proposed to the “Law with long name” with a promising title “End of confusion over “long-titled” law in sight”
We publish a shortened version with RwB comments. Aslo see THE SHORT HISTORY OF THE LAW WITH LONG NAME

SEPTEMBER 16 PROTEST AGAINST LAW AMENDMENTS 
 
The Government’s main concern is how to meet the claims of companies who say their interests have been unfairly violated. That is why the Government wants to pass the Regulatory Law, which seeks to draw a line …