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. …

A year ago, on October 6, 2019, Golfrid Siregar, an Indonesian environmental lawyer died under suspicious circumstances. He was one of the key activists confronting the Batan-Toru Hydropower Dam built by Sinohydro in the only habitat of endemic Tapanuli Orangutan.

On
October 3, 2019, Golfrid Siregar was found beaten and abandoned on the side of
a road in Medan and died in hospital. The North Sumatran Police who handled the
case have concluded that the reason for his death was due to a single traffic
accident. Although police claim his death …

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 …

Belarusian security officials detained Irina Sukhi, an environmental activist who campaigned against a nuclear power plant built in Belarus near the border with Lithuania by Rosatom, a Russian state-owned company. The arrest was reported on Sunday by Ms. Sukhi’s daughter, Sophie Sadovskaya. She is a member of the council of environmental group Ecohome (EcoDom member of RADA) and Green Net (Zelena Setka) environmental movement. On behalf of Belarus environmental groups Ms. Sukhi took part in formation of Green Silk Road Initiative at 2016 conference in Moscow organized by …

International Renewable Energy
Agency published RE costs data for 2019.

Costs of energy change 2010-2019

Hydropower’s share of global renewable energy capacity fell from 76% (925 GW) in 2010 to just under 47% in 2019. Global installed hydropower capacity (excluding pumped hydro) was 1 189 GW at the end of 2019. It is the only widespread non-fossil energy source for which both cost of construction and cost of electricity (LCOE) increased over past decade.

Solar
photovoltaic (PV) shows the sharpest cost decline over 2010-2019 at 82%,
followed by concentrating solar power (CSP) at 47%, onshore …

Source: GEIDCO 2018

Lena is one the 10 greatest rivers of the world, and its basin is the least affected by hydropower dams and other water infrastructure. So far only one major tributary – the Viluy river has two dams (one of those unfinished due to lack of demand for energy).

During several decades harnessing hydropower potential of Lena basin was proposed many times by Russian and Chinese engineers and investors. The map above has been produced by Global energy Interconnection Development Cooperation Organization (GEIDCO – a global lobbyist initiated …