A magnificent show “Father of the Nation Turning on Lights to End Years of Darkness” was staged in Tajikistan on November 16 as  President Emomali Rakhmon “launched” a  model of the Rogun Hydropower Plant manufactured at 1/5 of its planned size.
Esteemed guests from Afganistan, Pakistan, Uzbekistan,Russia and other countries politely attended the show, and  Cyril Muller, World Bank Vice President for Europe and Central Asia, even delivered a spiel with an very frank oxymoron:  “Rogun hydropower plant (HPP), if embedded into broader reforms and a sound macro-fiscal framework, could …

There is a new evidence the IFC does not apply its own standards properly and this has implications for any hydropower projects they support. In a recent IFC CAO Ombudsman newsletter I have found investigation report on Lengarica Hydro in Albania that raises multiple concerns.
A small inherently inefficient 8 MW hydropower plant was built in Albanian  National park by Austrian firm ENSO and supported by USD 6 million by IFC. 
Organic Agriculture Association Executive director Lavdosh Ferruni  in 2015 filed a compliant insisting that IFC financial support is in violation …

Sindi Dam on Parnu River blocked fish migration
Source https://www.ccb.se/documents/2-Estonia.pdf
In October long-awaited dam removal  started on Pärnu River in  Estonia. After almost 150 years in existence the Sindi Dam near mouth of the river is being demolished now. This is the largest national project of its kind. After demolition of  Pärnu River  dams scientists expect restoration of spawning habitat of migratory fish in the area equal to such habitat in all other salmon rivers of the country. Rivers without Boundaries Coalition congratulates Estonian colleagues on passing  this important milestone in …

Dam collapse Did NOT stop dams  in Laos
The July collapse of the Xe-Pian Xe-Namnoy saddle dam in southern Laos and the widespread disaster that followed made international headlines.
Shortly after the Xe-Pian Xe-Namnoy collapse displaced thousands and claimed at least 40 lives, the Mekong River Commission called the dam break a national tragedy, but also an opportunity. It’s one that “ushers in new hope for a more optimal, sustainable, and less contentious path for development of one of the greatest rivers in the world,” MRC CEO Pham Tuan Phan …

At the Eighth session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Water Convention on 12 of October 2018 in Astana, Kazakhstan,  the RwB International Coordinator Eugene Simonov delivered a presentation on freshwater ecosystem preservation in the era of “Belt and Road “.(See presentation  here)

Simonov and Mazmanyanz at the side event © Oxana Nikitina/ WWF
This side event was dedicated to a joint program of the Kazakhstan and WWF on restoration of the Ili River Delta and reintroduction of tigers. However the success of the reintroduction program is dependent on …

 
Today, the Rivers without Boundaries International Coalition published in three languages the following Statement on misconduct of the World Bank’s MINIS Project.
September 4, 2018   

On Public Consultations for Terms of Reference for Regional Environmental Assessment of Dam Impacts in Selenge/Baikal Basin
The Rivers without Boundaries Coalition (RwB) regrets to inform that our attempts to request meaningful public consultations for Regional Environmental Assessment (REA) have been ignored by the Mining Infrastructure Investment Support (MINIS) Project Management Unit (PMU) and the World Bank Management officials. We have a grave concern that the …