In July 2019 AIIB President promised to RwB “to be very cautious with hydropower”, it does not show in the Draft Water Sector Strategy

On December 10, 2019 eighteen civil society organizations from 12 countries of Asia, Europe, Africa and the Americas submitted to the AIIB initial comments with a hope to start meaningful consultations on key environmental and social issues specific to river basin management and water infrastructure development. Full text below.

Submission to Consultations on the AIIB “Draft Water Sector Strategy”.

Introduction: Expectations

Ever since discovering that the AIIB intends to
develop a …

Lake Baikal shore in winter (RwB)

December 3. Moscow. Mongolia and Russia have finally signed an agreement on cooperation in electric power, development of which was triggered by Mongolia’s plans to build hydropower plants in Lake Baikal basin to achieve self-sufficiency in energy sector. On the part of Mongolia, such desire was partly due to lack of long-term agreement with neighbors for reliable electricity supply at affordable price.

The necessity for such agreement has been discussed at least since 2014 and was always viewed in conjunction with difficult negotiations on …

Construction site of Amazar Saw and Pulp Mill and the dam blocking the Amazar River. So far the construction of the pulp mill has been completely stalled for 10 months.

Civil society attempts to prevent the worst environmental and social impacts from Chinese-owned pulp-mill development in Zabaikalsky province scored a new important tactical victory at Hong Kong Stock Exchange. The KHI toy-manufacturing company, which previously claimed that it wants to take over management of the “highly profitable Polaris Company” (Amazar Saw and Pulp Mill in Zabaikalsky Province), have yielded …

Demanding justice for environmental rights defender Golfrid Siregar, citizens of the world representing more than 240 organizations from Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Europe, North America and South America delivered letters of solidarity to Indonesian embassies across the globe Photo from Indonesian embassy in Japan.

More than 240 civil society organizations, including the Rivers without Boundaries International Coalition, urged Indonesia on Thursday to investigate the extremely suspicious death of an activist who opposed the building of a hydropower dam seen as key to China’s Belt and Road Initiative in …

The Snowy Mountains Engineering Corporation (SMEC) has been involved in dozens of destructive hydro-engineering projects that caused harm to many local communities in Asia from Mongolia to Laos. Today the RwB Coalition Coordinator Eugene Simonov arrived at Australia to report at the Riversymposium and to help local allies to pressure New South Wales Government to reassess impacts of Warragamba Dam that threatens the the Blue Mountains World Heritage Area. The ABC reporting below.

An international group says in its Submission to NSW Senate company …

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 …