Dam on Amazar River that degrades habitat of giant Taimen Salmon (by RwB)

We do have both good and bad news from the Amazar River -the uppermost tributary of the Amur-Heilong, which was blocked by dam for alleged needs of the Amazar Pulp and Saw Mill “Polaris”( 阿玛扎尔林浆一体化项目 ) – being built by Heilongjiang Xingbang International Investment Co。 （ 黑龙江兴邦国际资源投资股份有限公司 ） with support of a loan from China Development Bank. The Polaris Project also threatens last remaining intact boreal forests on Sino-Russian border.

This unfinished project initiated in 2004 has …

Amur-Heilong River at proposed Taipinggou Dam site. Photo by Taipinggou National Nature reserve

New article titled “Freshwater Ecosystems versus Hydropower Development” published in the MDPI journal “Water” shows practical directions for sustainable hydropower planning, suggesting much more tangible and straightforward ways to avoid and reduce dam impacts, than those suggested in “ESG gap analysis tool” developed by International Hydropower Association.

Hydropower development inevitably causes
a multitude of negative effects on freshwater ecosystems, and to prevent and
minimize possible damage, environmental impact assessments must be conducted
and optimal management scenarios designed. This paper, written by …

Members of Narmada Movement Start the Fast

We address the Indian Government,
demanding prompt action and to avoid a humanitarian crisis in the Narmada
valley.

We, express our deep concern for the growing humanitarian crisis in Narmada valley, in Central India, where thousands of families are evicted without rehabilitation due to the Sardar Sarovar (Narmada dam) reservoir filling.

The dam,
initially financed by the World Bank, has been in the center of controversy for
35 years, and has poor track record of rehabilitation of the affected
communities. We learn that flouting all policies and guidelines, nearly 32,000
families are …

South Africa’s Bonang Power and Energy has been courting Ugandan elite and seeking hydropower contracts at least from 2015. Thus its web-site refers to official report of the Uganda State Palace on talks between the country’s President Yoweri and a delegation of an International Consortium of Companies from Russia and South Africa on May 29, 2015. The Russian based energy company – Gidroenergostroy (the RwB failed to identify specific company involved), along with Bonang Power and Energy Ltd from South Africa, were expected to establish additional generating capacity of 200 …

The Prelature of Infanta: NO Kaliwa Dam!!!

In Philippines a church-led campaign has been rolled out to gather signatures of 10 million people urging the government to drop a controversial dam project in the mountains of the northern Philippines.

The Prelature of Infanta said it began gathering signatures a month ago, as the government started the construction of the P18.7 billion Kaliwa Dam project. Bishop Bernardino Cortez is appealing for help in a last ditch effort to
protect local communities and their environment.

“The struggle is far from over… and …

Brazil has included four hydropower plants among the projects that will receive support as part of the country’s investment partnerships program, called “Programa de Parcerias de Investimentos” or PPI. 

According to BNamericas, the
government’s support will come in the form of environmental licensing studies
for the 650-MW Bem Querer, 140-MW Castanheira, 118-MW Telemaco Borba and 430-MW
Tabajara plants, fulfilling President Jair Bolsonaro’s campaign promise to
speed up the environmental licensing processes for large hydro plants.

Bem Querer, located in the Amazonas
river in Roraima state, is considered critical to Brazil’s energy security.
Roraima is the only state not …