Rivers without Boundaries

Mesopotamia Marshes and Cultural Heritage of Iraq Threatened by the Makhoul Dam

Hydro-engineering war against nature and people has further escalated in the Tigris River Basin. In 2020 Turkey completed infamous Ilisu Hydropower project (see “Test killing” of Tigris River by Turkish Authorities Has Started ), while in early 2021 Iran diverted part of Lesser Zab River to replenish Urmia Lake (see …

Destruction of Salmon – Threat to Indigenous Peoples of the North

One of the most striking speeches of the recently concluded 20th Session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues was the address delivered by the Vice President of the Far Eastern Federal District chapter of the Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North, Siberia and Far East of the …

A year after Sardoba dam collapse secrecy prevails: All we know – the catfish and rodents not guilty!

A year passed since May 1, 2020, when on the territory of Sirdaryo region of Uzbekistan, a breakthrough of the reservoir dam occurred, causing a flood. Buildings, roads, communications were destroyed. More than 60 thousand residents were evacuated in Uzbekistan and similar number in flooded districts of Kazakhstan. According to …

Water transfers fuel corruption and environmental degradation in Iran – a Statement Issued by Iranian Civil Society

Iranian Environmentalists Mark International Day Against Water Transfer 17 April 2021 By the People’s Campaign to Save the Kind Zagros, supporter of Save the Tigris Campaign Iranian environmentalists annually celebrate the International Day Against Water Transfer on 17 April, or 28 Favardin, according to the Persian calendar. Water transfers between …

Appeal to UNESCO Regarding Criminalization of Civil Society Activists in the Russian Federation

On the Criminalization of Civil Society Activists in the Russian Federation We, the Civil Society Organizations who have attended the 9th International NGO Forum on World Heritage at Risk organized by World Heritage Watch online from 22-24 February 2021, as active and concerned citizens dealing with Natural and Cultural World …

Pressure on Lake Baikal from Tourism and Corruption

The shore of Siberia’s Lake Baikal that has seen the building of most hotels is now covered by algae caused by releasing untreated waste into the water. Every wave brings more algae [Image by: Vitaliy Ryabtsev] After the closure of the Baikal cellulose-paper industrial complex in 2013, the main cause …