Rivers without Boundaries

EU Council Is Ready to Stand for the Integrity of Nile and Mekong

On 19 November 2018, the Council of Foreign Affairs of the European Union (EU) adopted conclusions on water diplomacy which promote accession and implementation of the Water Convention . The Council recalls that water is a prerequisite for human survival and dignity and a fundamental basis for the resilience of …

As Datang Corporation Plays the Fool at Mekong Dam Consultations Will China Government Step in and Apply its Screening Policies for Sensitive Investments ?

  Since March 2018 all overseas investment projects “affecting transboundary water resources” are classified by China Government as “sensitive”  and “restricted” and should be subjected to detailed assessment of their impacts on countries of investment and reputation of Chinese institutions and policies. Environmental and local livelihoods concerns are among key …

World Bank: Nenskra hydropower project is a major liability

Successive international analyses have cast serious doubts over the financial viability of the planned Nenskra plant. While the Georgian government keeps the project’s contract confidential, a leaked World Bank report offers a scathing account of the fiscal implications of this hydropower development. Community members, experts and civil society groups have …

Large hydropower doesn’t have a future, that is our blunt conclusion

  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 …

IFC Neglects its Own Guidelines on Environmental Flows for Hydropower

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 …