Más que nunca, resulta importante aprovechar la oportunidad de la reactivación económica pos pandemia para no reactivar exclusiones de los pueblos y depredaciones de ríos y territorios. Para ello, es fundamental dar la voz a las regiones que más han sufrido el abandono y el golpe de la pandemia Covid19. Ellos/as saben mejor que nadie qué debe retomarse y qué debe cambiar para que la pos pandemia sea una gran oportunidad de hacer mejor las cosas.
International Rivers 📣 Participe de uma consulta pública sobre o futuro do Rio Itabapoana (RJ)!
📌Câmara Municipal convida a todos e todos para discutir projeto de lei que pode decretar cachoeiras e corredeiras do rio carioca em um monumento natural.
No dams! They emit methane, displace people, and cause extinctions. #TheDamTruth @intlrivers @RiosToRivers Dams are not clean or green or sustainable. Period.
📌AHORA, HABLA AMAZONAS: REACTIVACIÓN ECONÓMICA, RÍOS Y AUTONOMÍAS INDÍGENAS (JUEVES 4 DE NOVIEMBRE, 5 PM.)
¿Qué reactivación económica necesita y debe emprenderse en la Amazonía peruana? ¿Qué es el derecho a las Autonomías indígenas y por qué ha sido y es importante?
A estas preguntas responderán, este jueves 4 de noviembre, a las 5 pm., Wrays Pérez de la Nación Wampís, defensor de los Ríos Kanus (Santiago) y el Kankaim (Morona), y Santiago Jesús Manuin de la Nación Awajún, defensores de los Ríos Nieva y Marañón. Convocado por Forum Solidaridad Perú y la Red Nacional de Protección de Ríos, con el apoyo de International Rivers, la moderación de de Rosario Romero de Forum.
Trasmisión en vivo por Facebook.
Información en este link: 📌http://www.psf.org.pe/…/ahora-habla-amazonas…/
ESTE VIERNES 29, HABLA LORETO: POSPANDEMIA ¿OPORTUNIDAD PARA SALVAR RÍOS Y ASUMIR ALTERNATIVAS ENERGÉTICAS? (5.30 PM)
26 de octubre de 2021
Más que nunca, resulta importante aprovechar la oportunidad de la reactivación económica pos pandemia para no reactivar exclusiones de los pueblos y depredaciones de ríos y territorios. Para ello, es fundamental dar la voz a las regiones que más han sufrido el abandono y el golpe de la pandemia Covid19. Ellos/as saben mejor que nadie qué debe retomarse y qué debe cambiar para que la pos pandemia sea una gran oportunidad de hacer mejor las cosas.
Siguiendo con la serie de conversatorios virtuales para dar voz a las provincias y contrarrestar el monopolio de la voz del centralismo limeño, Forum Solidaridad Perú, la Red Nacional de Protección de Ríos, con el apoyo de International Rivers, organizará este viernes 29 de octubre, a las 5:30 pm., el conversatorio «Habla Loreto», una de las regiones más golpeadas por la pandemia y por las depredaciones de ríos y territorios. También una de las regiones con mayores desafíos y potencialidades para emprender una urgente transición energética.
Estarán dialogando José Manuyama, docente, del Comité de Defensa del Agua y defensor del Río Nanay; Mari Luz Canaquiri, Presidenta de la Federación de Mujeres Kukama, quienes recientemente, con apoyo de IDL, han presentado una demanda judicial para la protección y reconocimiento de derechos del Río Marañón, tributario del Río Amazonas; Carmen Arévalo, coordinadora regional de la Mesa de Concertación para la Lucha contra la Pobreza – MCLCP de Loreto y de la Red de Integridad; y el especialista internacional en transición energética, radicado en Ecuador, Alberto Ríos, quién, además, ha elaborado una propuesta detallada para la transición energética en esta región.
La moderación del diálogo estará a cargo de Gabriel Salazar, del equipo de Forum Solidaridad Perú, quien ha estado recientemente en Loreto, adelantando acciones para la defensa de los Ríos y Territorios y el fortalecimiento de redes ciudadanas para ese objetivo.
Mira el video en castellano acerca de la Movida Global por los Ríos y Pueblos.
Las hidroeléctricas no son sostenibles! Tampoco son fuentes limpias, verdes o renovables de energía. Las emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero de las presas son históricamente subestimadas. Las presas son una gran fuente de metano, un gas 86% más potente que el gas carbónico.
Las hidrelétricas son igualmente dañinas para los derechos humanos. Hasta el año 2000, más de 80 millones de personas habían sido desplazadas y más de 420 millones de personas tuvieron sus vidas impactadas por las presas.
Mientras soñamos el futuro que queremos y necesitamos, no olvidemos que los ríos libres son imprescindibles para luchar contra el cambio climático y para el desarrollo sostenible. No hay tiempo para apostar en soluciones falsas como las hidroeléctricas.
Today, advocates from across the globe gathered at the IUCN World Conservation Congress (both in person and remotely) to highlight the precipitous growth of the movement to recognize the rights of rivers and watersheds. The press conference also marked the approximate one year anniversary of the formal launch of the Universal Declaration of the Rights of Rivers (“Declaration”), a civil society initiative to define the basic rights to which all rivers are entitled. According to its proponents, the Declaration intends to build awareness and serve as a customizable legal model for governments wishing to join the rights of rivers movement.
September 8, 2021
For immediate release: September 8, 2021
Contacts:
1. Monti Aguirre, International Rivers (707-591-1220; monti@internationalrivers.org) 2. Grant Wilson, Earth Law Center (510-566-1063; gwilson@earthlaw.org)
Marseille, France—Today, advocates from across the globe gathered at the IUCN World Conservation Congress (both in person and remotely) to highlight the precipitous growth of the movement to recognize the rights of rivers and watersheds. The press conference also marked the approximate one year anniversary of the formal launch of the Universal Declaration of the Rights of Rivers (“Declaration”), a civil society initiative to define the basic rights to which all rivers are entitled. According to its proponents, the Declaration intends to build awareness and serve as a customizable legal model for governments wishing to join the rights of rivers movement.
Over the past year, rights have been recognized or declared for (at minimum) Boulder Creek and the Boulder Creek Watershed (Nederland, USA, mirroring some language from the Declaration), the Magpie River (Canada), waterways in Orange County, Florida (USA), the Alpayacu River (Ecuador), and the Paraná River and Wetlands (Rosario, Argentina). In contrast to traditional environmental laws that recognize Nature as mere human property, this legal precedent acknowledges that rivers, watersheds, and other natural entities are living entities with rights.
With regards to the Declaration, it now has support from close to 1,700 individuals and 211 organizations from over forty countries. Numerous ‘rights of rivers’ campaigns also incorporate parts of the Declaration, including in El Salvador (rights of the Lempa River), France (rights of the Tavignanu River), Mexico (rights of all rivers in Oaxaca), Nigeria (rights of the River Ethiope), Pakistan (rights of the Indus Delta and River), Serbia, and the UK (rights of the River Frome). Additionally, last week, 16 IUCN members co-sponsored an emergency motion calling upon IUCN members to endorse the Declaration, although it did not pass.
Advocates have also submitted a multitude of amici curiae briefs in defense of the ‘rights of rivers’ that specifically reference the rights recognized in the Universal Declaration of the Rights of Rivers, including briefs seeking to protect the rights of the Dulcepamba River, Piatúa River and Nangaritza River in a series of cases currently before the Constitutional Court of Ecuador. Another amicus brief seeks to protect the Marañon River in Peru based in part on the Universal Declaration of the Rights of Rivers. In one instance, an administrative body in Ecuador upheld the rights of the Dulcepamba River and ordered protection of its flows.
The momentum towards the rights of rivers is growing as a response to mounting global threats to rivers and freshwater ecosystems. According to the 2020 Living Planet Index, 944 monitored freshwater species declined by an average of 84% between 1970 and 2016. Due to an onslaught of dams and other infrastructure, only 37 percent of rivers longer than 1,000km still flow freely.
“It is obvious that effective river management works best at the basin scale, and ‘river rights’, as described in the Declaration, is a very important way of achieving this and ensuring protection of ecosystem integrity.”
–Angela Andrade, Chair of IUCN’s Commission on Ecosystem Management
“Globally, rivers have enormous social, cultural, environmental, and economic value, but are becoming progressively more threatened. The Rights of Rivers approach is becoming increasingly important for ensuring that they can continue to provide these essentials to benefit nature and the people who rely on them.”
Kristen Walker, Chair of IUCN’s Commission on Environmental, Economic and Social Policy.
“Western law and culture often treat rivers as a human resource instead of recognizing the reality that they are living systems. An important step towards correcting this falsehood is for rivers and other natural entities to be recognised in law as legal entities with intrinsic rights.”
-Jessica Sweidan, CoFounder & Trustee of Synchronicity Earth; IUCN Patron of Nature.
“The playbook for protecting rivers and watersheds must evolve beyond the traditional environmental law approaches we’ve been using since the 1960s, as such laws are helpful but grossly inadequate.The Declaration is a useful legislative starting point for those wishing to promote new, Earth-centered legal protections for fresh waters.”
–Grant Wilson, Executive Director of Earth Law Center.
“This movement towards recognizing the rights of rivers will be extremely helpful for protecting the freshwater biodiversity present in these ecologically important rivers.”
-Dr. Topiltzin Contreras Macbeath, Head of the Conservation Biology Research Group at the University of Morelos, México and Co-Chair of the Freshwater Conservation Committee of IUCN’s Species Survival Commission.
“Rivers are the veins of the Earth. They hold so much life and provide the conditions for life to evolve, flourish, and regenerate. This declaration is essential in the process of legally recognizing the inherent rights of rivers worldwide, as a way to protect their integrity, health, and role in Earth’s web of life.”
-Hana Begovic, Director of Earth Advocacy Youth.
“A global study of river protections that I recently led shows the growing importance of the Rights of Rivers movement, relative to some of the other protection systems we discussed. We concluded that Rights of Rivers is a powerful tool for recognizing Indigenous cultural plurality in legal systems, and for bringing about transformative change in the protection of nature.”
-Dr. Denielle Perry, Director of the Free-flowing Rivers Lab in Northern Arizona University’s School of Earth and Sustainability, and Co-Chair of the Durable River Protection Coalition.
“Rivers across the planet are ribbons of biodiversity that are facing unprecedented threats due to climate change and dam building. Rights of Nature for Rivers offers a path forward that combats these threats and gives rivers their rightful protection as the planet’s life-saving arteries.”
–Gary Wockner, Co-Founder of Save The Colorado and Founder of Save The World’s Rivers.
“Our current laws are not rising to address the climate and biodiversity crises. Freshwater ecosystems need permanent protections to sustain water quality, food security, and human rights. A Rights of Nature approach offers transformative change at a time where it could not be needed more.”
Monti Aguirre, Latin America Manager at International Rivers.
South Africa’s energy crisis: New study confirms Inga 3 hydropower would cost South Africans an extra R10 billion per year
June 29, 2021
Today, International Rivers and WoMin African Alliance published a new report, INGA 3: Too High a Cost – A study of the Socio-Economic Costs of the Inga 3 Dam for South Africa. The study, conducted by financial experts from UK-based TMP Systems, provides the first authoritative accounting of the true costs to South Africa of importing power from the planned Inga 3 hydropower scheme in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Its findings are dire yet clear: Offtaking hydropower from Inga 3 would be too costly, and an unmitigated disaster for South Africa. The study shows that the cost of importing power from Inga would be three times the current cost of generating electricity in South Africa, and would cost South Africa over R10 billion more per year compared to readily available alternatives. This additional burden would likely fall on the shoulders of ordinary South Africans through increased tariffs and taxpayer subsidies for Eskom.
“Our study clearly shows that Inga is simply not financially viable for South Africa,” says Ben Bowie, one of the study’s authors. “The economics of the project just don’t add up, so it’s no wonder financiers have stayed away.”
The study raises considerable doubt over whether South Africa’s plans to import power from Inga are likely to proceed, and notes that the South African government has not conducted proper due diligence, including feasibility and socio-economic impact studies.
Meanwhile, the scheme’s prospects worsened in recent weeks following news that the DRC government has granted exclusive rights to develop the Inga site to Australian company Fortescue Metals Group, which plans to harness Inga’s hydro potential to produce green hydrogen for export to Europe. This would potentially cut South Africa out altogether, despite a longstanding treaty guaranteeing a portion of Inga’s power to South Africa.
“This should be a clear wake up call for South African authorities to abandon their ill-advised plans to import power from Inga,” says Siziwe Mota, Africa Director at International Rivers. “South Africa must withdraw from the treaty and embrace abundant local solar and wind resources to the benefit of all South Africans.” The study found that Inga would create virtually no new jobs within South Africa compared to the estimated 8,096 full-time jobs for South Africans that comparable investments in solar and wind would create.
The report further found that women in particular would bear the cost of importing power from Inga, both through direct impacts of the transmission line and increased electricity tariffs. “With women already disproportionately affected by the high unemployment rate as well as the gender pay gap, further tariff increases and displacement to make way for the transmission lines will have devastating effects on the lives of poor women in particular. These already vulnerable women would once again be forced to carry the burden of these so-called development schemes,” says Trusha Reddy, Programme Head at WoMin African Alliance.
The report also warns that the considerable doubts over Inga threaten South Africa’s future energy security if authorities do not act swiftly to identify and invest in realistic and cost-effective energy solutions.
“South Africa simply cannot afford a ticking time-bomb of this magnitude,” emphasizes Ms. Mota. “Our country urgently needs energy, which solar and wind can provide more quickly, more cheaply, and at significantly lower risk.”
International Rivers and WoMin have therefore written to the Parliamentary Portfolio committees on Energy and Finance to request an opportunity to present this report to the Members of Parliament calling for the immediate withdrawal of South Africa’s support for Inga 3.
Would you risk your life to save a river? This man did. #RiversUniteUs #EarthWeek
In 1979, Mark Dubois chained himself to a rock behind New Melones Dam in the USA’s Stanislaus River Canyon and threw away the key. This was no empty gesture: if the Army Corps of Engineers continued to fill the reservoir, Mark would drown. 42 years later, Mark’s story has been told in a short film released for Earth Day 2021. It’s hoped The Voice of a River, created by Citrix Systems and My Green Pod, and produced by Carlos Gonzalez, will remind everyone that one person’s actions can make lasting positive change. Competition Details The winner of our Earth Day competition will have 500 trees planted in their name, plus a certificate to say thank you! The trees will be planted in the tropics, through charity partner TreeSisters. To be in with a chance of making a huge difference to reforestation efforts, visit My Green Pod on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook for more information on how to enter. Good luck! Subscribe to the My Green Pod Newsletter: https://www.mygreenpod.com/subscribe/ Socials Facebook: My Green Pod Instagram: @mygreenpod Twitter: @mygreenpod LinkedIn: My Green Pod My Green Pod Ltd is an independent, family-run UK business, founded by Katie Hill and Jarvis Smith. Our YouTube channel is a portal where you can learn how to live sustainably using content from the UK’s biggest ethical lifestyle magazine.
No dams! They emit methane, displace people, and cause extinctions. 
