International anti-dam protest in Georgia, where many dams are funded by the EU institutions

The Rivers without Boundaries International Coalition provided recommendations “On Hydropower and Infrastructure for Water Transport Impacts on Freshwater Bodies, Ecosystems and Species” as its submission on Draft Delegated Act (DA) on Sustainable-finance and EU classification-system-for-green-investments.

The text of draft DA dilutes and weakens recommendations
made to European commission by special Technical Expert Group tasked to draft this
legislation. The RwB raises six important points:

1) The RwB is deeply concerned that EC does not follow the TEG’s advice that “Construction …

International Rivers, Rivers without Boundaries and other partners
are seeking your support in a global call for a just and green recovery
at  www.Rivers4Recovery.org. 

Rivers for Recovery Report

This global action focuses on calling out and confronting efforts to use the
post-COVID-19 pandemic economic recovery to push for  more destructive
dams and prop up the ailing hydropower industry.  At the same time, it
highlights alternative pathways for a truly “green recovery” through river
protection and other nature-based solutions, valuing community-based
initiatives, that should be supported by governments and 
financiers. 

We send the global call to financiers, governments of dam-building countries, international …

SHORT SOBERING REPORT

Enashimskaya Hydro in Siberia

Since the Report by World Commission on Dams (Nov.
2000) for 20 years there has been relative consensus that large hydro is
associated with excessive social and environmental impacts and should be given
no green ticket into sustainable future. Somehow it was simultaneously
stipulated that “small hydro is OK” and it took two decades and thousands of
ruined rivers to start questioning this type of “green energy”.

Major international energy organizations(like the the IEA or IRENA) have already stopped dividing hydropower into “small” and “large” about 3-5 years ago as it …

Vulnerable Kherlen River the victim of water diversion plans

Before 2000 there were no mines in
South Gobi apart from the state-run Tavan Tolgoi coal mine. But over the past
two decades, foreign investment has flooded in, with companies now operating 12
large mines, including Rio Tinto’s Oyu Tolgoi, one of the world’s biggest
copper and gold mines. Driven by the mining industry’s growing demands, the
government estimates that the region’s groundwater will run dry within a few
years.

Much of Mongolia’s water is in the
north, and the government now plans to pipe this water to the arid …

In October several dozen people died in landslides caused by small hydropower construction and this triggered Vietnam authorities to announce long-prepared decision to stop mass-development of small hydro. Similar, albeit less dramatic, decision has been made by China four years ago, where many hydropower plants have been demolished in last three years. The RwB Coalition is pleased to see that leading countries of Asia faced by difficult development choices still make rational and environmentally sound decisions on hydropower and expects other countries in Mekong River Basin to follow the suit. …

Sentinel satellite images from July 2 and September 15 show Ulz River before and during construction of the dam

Appeal to Director of UNESCO World Heritage Centre

Dear Ms. Rossler:

Using satellite imagery we established the fact that, in July 2020 Wellmot (Вэлмот) Company started construction of a dam across Ulz River in Dornod Province of Mongolia, the  principle source of water for “Landscapes of Dauria” World Heritage property. It was also reported by the official news agency Montsame[1].

To the best
of our knowledge, this construction started without prior warning of the
adjacent …