Dear colleagues,
We hope this message finds you
well. We are reaching out because your organization
endorsed the Rivers for Climate Declaration last
year ahead of COP26 asking the U.N. to reject harmful
dams as a climate solution. On behalf of the
organizations that drafted the declaration, thank you
for your support!
We are writing to provide an
update about the impact the Declaration has had (see
update below) and to invite you to participate in a
planning discussion to support free-flowing rivers
around the world.
The goals of this strategic
discussion will be to:
- amplify
the voices and demands of river-dependent communities
in global climate policy, particularly during the
upcoming UNFCCC COP27 in November,
- develop
common positions and approaches to the use of
hydropower in countries’ Nationally Determined
Contributions (NDCs) and international climate
finance,
- develop
strategies to prevent and remove harmful dams and
water diversions, focusing on strategies that benefit
multiple countries
To this end, we will host
separate online meetings in Spanish and
English:
- English Free Flowing Rivers
Discussion, August 24, 2022, 3pm CET via Zoom (Register here)
- Spanish Free Flowing Rivers
Discussion, August 31, 2022, 9am PST via Zoom (Register
here)
If you would like to host a
similar strategy meeting in another language or have
questions or suggestions, please email us at rivers4...@gmail.com.
Background & Update about
the Declaration
If you’ll recall, the Declaration was signed by 350 civil
society organizations from around the world. The
Declaration fed into and was supported by an
accompanying petition signed by over 2000 individuals
(see UnDam.org).
Prior to COP26, we launched the
declaration during a press
conference in September ahead of the International
Hydropower Association publishing its own pro-hydro
declaration. At COP26 itself in Glasgow, we presented
the Declaration to the UNFCCC secretariat, the head of
the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the
CEO of the International Hydropower Association (IHA) during their marquee event, and the
head of the International Energy Agency’s (IEA)
sustainability division. As a follow-up, a group of us
met the IEA to educate them about why their calls to
double hydropower capacity would in fact worsen the
climate crisis.
We highlighted the Declaration
and its key messages during a number of events we helped
lead, including an official side event in Glasgow on
alternatives to hydropower to address the climate
crisis, and an event at the People’s Climate Summit,
where we connected with climate activists new to the
topic of river protection.
The Declaration’s key concerns
and recommendations have been supported by a joint statement on large dams issued by
multiple UN Special Rapporteurs, led by the UN
Special Rapporteur for the Right to Water, Pedro Arrojo.
The statement reiterated key points of the Declaration
by calling on UN bodies, financiers, and governments to
reject an expansion of hydropower to address the climate
crisis in recognition of the severe human rights impacts
of dams.
Finally, we carried our message
in several marches during COP26. Here are links to
articles and photos by organizations that drafted the
declaration.
Next Steps
We hope this information is
useful and that we can collaborate in the future to
support free-flowing rivers. You can email us at rivers4...@gmail.com with any
questions or ideas.
Sincerely,
International Rivers
Waterkeeper
Alliance
Paddle Tribal Waters
Rios to Rivers
Counter Current
Water Climate
Trust
