Demonstration against dam greenwashing in Paris
In the context of the World Hydropower Congress in Paris (14-15 May), Extinction Rebellion and Planète Amazone are calling to demonstrate in Paris
14 MAI 2019, 12h at the
in Paris.
NGOs statement – Paralell event to the World Hydropower Congress in Paris
On May 13, NGOS from the Civil Society organized a parallel event to this Wolrd hydro Congress, to press where it hurts by asking the question : ” Hydroelectric Dams : solution or obstacle for delivering the Paris climate agreement and sustainale development goals ?”.
The World Hydropower Congress in Paris, 14-16 May continues to portray large hydroelectric dams as green
The World Hydropower Congress in Paris, 14-16 May continues to portray large hydroelectric dams as green and a clean source of energy . Organized by the industrial lobby of the International Hydropower Association (IHA) in partnership with UNESCO, the conference’s title reads, “Delivering the Paris Climate Agreement and Sustainable Development Goals”.
> more on the official site
Remember that 20 years ago, the World Commission on Dams had already published a framework document, advocating practices that respect human rights and ecology. It was the result of a international workgroup with representant of the Worldbank, Dambuilders, Environmental NGOs and dam affected people.
This text has unfortunately never been applied by hydropower industry who have chosen to redefine their own criteria and have blowen all the rest away in favour of their “Hydropower Sustainability Assessment Protocol”, which itself is rarely applied …
URGENT CALL TO NGOs : Sign the appeal to save the wild Vjosa River in Albania
Urgent Call by EuroNatur, Riverwatch and EcoAlbania
Dear colleagues,
one of Europe’s last wild rivers needs your help: The Vjosa River and her tributaries in Albania are at risk of being dammed by more than 40 hydropower plants (HPPs).
Currently, the major threat is HPP Kalviaç, which is planned within the ecologically most valuable river stretch. The concessionary company (the joint venture “AYEN-ALB”, a consortium of Albanian company “Fusha sh.p.k” and the Turkish AYEN ENERJI”) is pushing to conduct the entire EIA procedure within the next three months – a ridiculously short timespan for a project of such size (dam height: 43 meters; reservoir area: 16 km.; installed capacity: 111 MW).
In the frame of our campaign “Save the Blue Heart of Europe”, we as EuroNatur, Riverwatch and EcoAlbania have been fighting for Vjosa’s protection for the last six years in order to prevent the worst. Now, we need your support by signing the attached appeal letter to Albania’s Prime Minster, Edi Rama, to immediately suspend all hydropower developments in the Vjosa catchment until a Strategic Environmental Impact Assessment has been elaborated.
NGOs willing to sign the statement, please send the full name of your NGO, the full name of the head of your organization, incl. his/her correct position(e.g. CEO, Director, …), and the country (where your NGO is based) to Besjana Guri, b.guri@ecoalbania.org
The letter will be sent from EuroNatur, Riverwatch and EcoAlbania to Albania’s Prime Minister, Edi Rama.
Appeal
Dear Prime Minister Edi Rama,
Hydropower developments at the Vjosa continue to be supported by the Albanian government despite all scientific findings confirming the conservation value of the unique eco-system of the Vjosa river. We are particularly concerned about the ongoing implementation process for the hydropower plant Kalivaç (HPP Kalivaç): the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Study for the project is scheduled to be conducted within approximately three months – an unrealistic timespan to prepare a profundal EIA for a project of such size.
The Albanian government supports the implementation of HPP Kalivaç, despite the fact that international institutions – amongst them the European Commission and the European Parliament – have been criticizing these developments repeatedly. The Recommendations of the Bern Convention to suspend HPP Kalivaç until the necessary strategic planning and additional assessments are carried out are not respected by the Albanian government either.
Including the above mentioned HPP Kalivac, we have evidence of 45 hydropower plants projected in the Albanian Vjosa catchment alone: 8 at the Vjosa main course and 37 at her tributaries.
The Vjosa River is one of Europe’s last big free-flowing rivers without any artificial obstacles along her entire Albanian course of about 200 km. The river’s intactness makes her a hotspot for many endangered European species and habitats. As such, the Vjosa is a natural heritage of pan-European importance, holding huge potentials for alternative sustainable developments like ecotourism.
We, the national and international environmental organizations, call on you, Prime Minister Edi Rama to immediately suspend all ongoing hydropower developments in the Vjosa catchment until a Strategic Environmental Impact Assessment and an integrated River Basin Management plan, which takes into account social aspects, particularly the potential of ecotourism, has been elaborated.
The prefect of Lot-et-Garonne orders the Caussade dam removal
No less than 5 court decisions, favorable to FNE and SEPANSO Aquitaine, as to the illegality of the project, had not prevented the Chamber of Agriculture of Lot-et-Garonne to build a dike 300 meters long by 12 meters high on the Caussade stream in order to create an artificial lake of 920 000 m3 for about 20 farmers.
But on May 2, the state took a decree obliging the Chamber of Agriculture to destroy the dam within 3 months and to restore the site under 18 months: restore the riverbed, wetlands, destroyed habitats many protected species; put in place compensation measures proportionate to the impacts of illegal work …. The decree also specifies that the Chamber of Agriculture must record 1 million euros corresponding to the dam removal works, with a penalty of 500 € per day within 3 months if the reservoir has not disappeared.
In a territory where the lack of water is regular, FNE denounced a racket of water and a project that did not respond to the challenges of climate change and sharing the resource. In its court decision, the court also pointed out that this project is incompatible with the Water Framework Directive and the SDAGE (Master Plan for Water Development and Management) of the Adour-Garonne basin and acknowledged the lack of contribution of the project to the adaptation of agricultural productions to climate change “.
This is a victory for the NGOs, who will monitor the application of the decree and rely on the authorities to enforce the rules.
European elections May 2019 : food for thought from the European Environmental Bureau !
The European elections are coming soon!
The European Environmental Bureau informs you for an effective and responsible vote, and incites to “re-protect” Europe …
Indeed, European laws have kept us safe for years and must continue to be able to do it … whether in the fight against climate change, the improvement of the quality of the environment. air, the protection of natural spaces, the reduction of pollution by plastic and toxic chemicals …
But unfortunately, we can no longer take for granted these crucial protections of men and nature. On the pretext that regulation is a “burden” for businesses, some politicians are trying to weaken or destroy EU laws. This is known as “deregulation”.
That’s why, next May, your vote is crucial!
Get to know the candidates who will maintain and strengthen the protection provided by the European Union.
>> More information on https://eeb.org/events/eu2019/
>> Briefing for voters : « Will you vote to reprotect Europe ? »
NB : ERN France – SOS Loire Vivante est membre de l’EEB
Large scale dam removal: “Selune Valley Revival”- International conference – FIRST CALL
European Rivers Network, the French Agency for Biodiversity, the national french Federation for Fishing, Dam Removal Europe and the INRA announce the international conference on dam removal and renaturation of the Sélune river, from 24th to 26 September, 2019 in Brittany and Normandy (Mont Saint Michel).
The Sélune, coastal river, considered as the 3rd river of France in “Salmon potential”, now renaturing, will be at the heart of the conference and presented with different points of view (ecological, territory project, research program). This summer, the Vezins dam (36m high) will be removed making this project the biggest dam removal project in Europe. These huge works – which will be followed by the removal in 2021 of the La Roche-qui-boit dam (16m high), will improve the quality of the water into the bay of Mont St Michel and restore ecological continuity for more than 70 km of Selune river. It is an opportunity for the territory to create value with this river renaturated. The project has an important scientific monitoring program since more than 6 years (sociological, geomorphological and biological) allowing knowledge of the valley, helping the implementation and evaluation of the project.
3 days of conference will present a global vision of the policy of restoration of continuity in France and in Europe by highlighting the successes and the failures, the means implemented, the challenges and stakes to integrate and the research programs. Cases studies from Europe and US on dam removal and territorial projects compatible with a free flowing river will be shown.
Registration and practical info : > www.ern.org/en/colloque-international-selune/
This event is part of the internationals seminars regularly organized by the Dam Removal Europe platform co-founded by ERN – the next event will take place on 22 and 23 May in Estonia – and give the chance in Europe, France and the Sélune Basin to share knowledge and experiences on dam removal and projects enable the re-appropriation of the river space.
Finland, Kemijoki river : End of the Kemiharaa dam project !
For more informations :
Mr Tapani Veistola /Finnish Association for Nature Conservation / Helsinki, Finland /
https://www.sll.fi/
And for those who read Finnish, here is the decision made by the government;
https://www.kho.fi/fi/index/paatoksia/muitapaatoksia/muupaatos/1554870994926.html
Iraq : 1st Mesopotamian Water Forum was held in April
Text from Ercan Ayboga / Mesopotamia Ecology Movement + Initiative to Keep Hasankeyf Alive
The 1st Mesopotamian Water Forum was held on April 6-8, 2019 in Sulaimani (Sulaymaniyah) in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. More than 150 water activists from the Mesopotamia region and other countries gathered for the 3-day forum at Sulaimani University.
Several civil society organizations from all over Mesopotamia – in particular members of the Save the Tigris Campaign (STC) – organized this water forum, which consisted of several plenary sessions and nine workshops. It was an open space to give voice to civil society of the region, too often excluded from decisions on water. The forum was accompanied by a photo exhibition on the upper Tigris River.
The activists denounced the grave impacts of dams and other water infrastructures on social structures, river ecosystems, cultural heritage, and local economies. The lack of any democratic, decision-making mechanisms was highlighted as well. Another important aspect that was critiqued is the use of dams as weapon for hegemony of upstream states and powers against downstream communities. Against these negative developments, very strong alternative approaches have been proposed.
In vibrant discussions after the approval of the final declaration, it was decided to organize the 2nd Mesopotamian Water Forum in Diyarbakir (Amed).
The forum can be summarized with the sentence: Water for Life and Water for Peace!
You can find here the final declaration in English.
For more information: https://www.savethetigris.org/international-mesopotamian-water-forum/
“Artifishal” : Patagonia new documentary on rivers and future of wild fish
Patagonia’s new documentary “Artifishal” denounces intensive salmon farming in northern European aquaculture farms. It shows the consequences of these farms for our wild fish and our rivers.
Patagonia invite you to sign their online petition supported by North Atlantic Salmon Fund Iceland
Redd Villaksen – Norwegian Wild Salmon Alliance, Salmon and Trout Conservation Scotland, Salmon Watch Ireland to call on decision-makers to ban fish farms in Europe and restore habitats.
More info : www.patagonia.com/artifishal.html
A preview screening of the film is scheduled April 24 at 7:30 pm at the Maison des Métallos in Paris.
Watch trailer :
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