Recently
the RwB contributed to development of a guidance
document on taking water into account when developing climate mitigation
and adaptation measures. Alliance for Global Water Adaptation (AGWA) issued the
first public version of this living document on November 15.

By crowdsourcing with national, sectoral, and civil society
partners, AGWA has synthesized a short set of recommendations to guide
countries in the choices they make in recognizing the water embedded across
sectors and climate targets. The report provides guiding principles and
recommendations for national climate planners and decision-makers to help them
ensure that they meet their goals within their national …

Dynamics of RE Annual Additions Globally. Hydro Marked as Blue, Wind as Grey and Sun as Yellow (IRENA)

As economic attractiveness of hydropower goes
down world-wide, the sector seeks to find new sources of support. Climate
funding is the single most promising opportunity for hydropower to continue
ruining rivers and forests of the planet. Therefore, we at the RwB pay close
attention to these developments and want to share with You our recent comments on
the “Draft Hydropower Standard for Climate
Bonds” issued by the Climate Bond Initiative” –  the first consistent attempt to “Climatewash”
hydro in …

Please, imagine that the Thinker bears the map of the world, the rest holds…

On Monday, September 16, the EU Commission of finance stops accepting
comments on the second draft of the Technical
report on “EU Taxonomy (of activities for
sustainable development eligible for green funding)”. The report sets
out the basis for a future EU taxonomy in legislation, contains technical
screening criteria for 67 activities across 8 sectors that can make a
substantial contribution to climate change mitigation. Similar document called “Catalogue of Green Industries” was
published in April by China.

According to the draft, the EU still
plans to support …

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 …

Lake Baikal – the Largest Hydropower Reservoir on Earth

The RwB and World Heritage Watch presents the final complete version of the “Heritage Dammed” Report, dedicated to protection of natural freshwater ecosystems. This colorful report contains contributions from 30 civil society organizations (CSOs), experts and dam-affected communities around the world.

The Report documents how water infrastructure plays key role in degrading aquatic ecosystems at more than 50 World Heritage properties, of which 42 sites are threatened by hydropower.  Fourteen in-depth case studies illustrate and analyze the global threat to the rivers, …

By Matt McGrath  Environment correspondent

A new study says that many large-scale hydropower projects in Europe and the US have been disastrous for the environment.
Dozens of these dams are being removed every year, with many considered dangerous and uneconomic.
But the authors fear that the unsustainable nature of these projects has not been recognized in the developing world.
Thousands of new dams are now being planned for rivers in Africa and Asia.
Hydropower is the source of 71% of renewable energy throughout the world and has played a major role in the development …