Rivers without Boundaries

Fading Glory of Hydropower

  The International Hydropower Association published a cheerful blog entry showing almost exponential increase in hydropower capacity: Source: IHA  “Not long after the turn of the century, hydropower development gained a renewed momentum, particularly across Asia and South America. Between 2000 and 2017, nearly 500 GW in hydropower installed capacity …

Bureya Hydropower Reservoir Operations Likely Triggered the Giant Landslide which Russian Army is Ordered to Blast.

The last year ended up with a  massive landslide blocking hydropower reservoir on Bureya River. Since the RwB reported on the issue last year considerable attention of national authorities and international media was drawn to it. Many politicians have participated in crisis-solving making this somewhat reminiscent of parallel  drama of …

Strategic Hydropower Assessment at the Roof of the World

Nepal’s hydropower boom needs strategic assessment and public oversight Children crossing a bridge across Budhi Gandaki River in Arughat, Nepal (Photo by Eugene Sim0nov) Prologue: A tale of two dams In 2017, I visited 1,200 MW Budhi Gandaki hydropower project, 70 kilometers from Kathmandu, and found many similarities with the …

Hydro-Ituango Sinkhole

In 2018 at least 126 Colombian human rights activists have been killed according to Frontline Defender’s report, some of those killings are related  to the valley of Cauca River   altered by the Hidroituango hydropower project. Over last several years many activists protesting dam establishment  disappeared or have been killed by …

Dam of Rocks Suddenly Blocked Bureya River Upstream of Hydropower Reservoir in Eastern Russia

The most interesting aspect from the RwB perspective is that massive new dam 800 meters wide, 400 meters long and 40-160 meters high altering a river with the largest hydropower cascade in Russian Far East was accidentally  discovered by two local hunters around December 14. It is soothing to know …

GEIDCO: a Harbinger of Equitable Green Future or a Salesman of China’s Excess Industrial Capacity?

  Can one promote great common good on behalf of association of companies from 80 countries and then immediately extract tangible private gain from it? Please, be patient – read a string  of news covering first 3 weeks of December. UN DESA shows commitment to climate action at COP24 The …