INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Pressreleases / Communiqués / Pressemitteilungen 
(all in original language, en langue originale, in Originalsprache):

 


newer News

06.04.03 : Human Rights Crisis at Three Gorges as Officials Plan to Fill
Reservoir

The reservoir of the controversial Three Gorges Dam in China's Yangtze Valley is officially scheduled to start filling on April 10, aggravating already serious human rights problems in the resettlement areas. A recent report shows that resettlement problems of this internationally publicly funded project have not been resolved, and that project construction is linked to systematic human rights violations. One official in Chongqing who is in charge of the resettlement did not deny totally that there are serious problems but said it is natural that there should be some problems. He also noted that submergence of the reservoir
zone is certain to be delayed. Many experts are still examining the engineering work and to a lesser extent the progress and quality in resettlement. The official said this work will not be finished before April 10th. He said he was certain it would be postponed but could not predict when it will actually take place. At the annual session of the UN Commission on Human Rights in Geneva this week, International Rivers Network and Friends of the Earth International have called on China to suspend submergence until the project's human rights problems have been resolved. They have also called on Western governments that fund the dam to ensure that the project comply with international norms. So far, 640,000 people have been resettled for the Three Gorges Project. An investigative report published by International Rivers Network (IRN) reveals that the record of compensating and rehabilitating the affected people has been abysmal in many areas, and does not meet international standards. "Land and jobs to rehabilitate affected people are no longer available", says Doris Shen, coordinator of IRN's East Asia program.
"According to recent interviews, resettlement funds continue to be corrupted and diverted into the pockets of local officials." (see interviews below) A submission that IRN and FoE International presented to the UN Commission on Human Rights in Geneva on March 31 documents that the construction of the Three Gorges Project is linked to the systematic violation of human
rights. "No independent grievance mechanism exists in which people can claim their right to fair compensation, and the police have used excessive force to quell many protests against the project", IRN's policy director Peter Bosshard reported in Geneva. "Many people have been detained, and in some cases sentenced to long prison terms, for engaging in peaceful protests."
IRN and FoE International presented their demands to the Chinese and Western governments at an NGO briefing at the UNCHR. The groups call for the submergence of the Three Gorges reservoir to be suspended as long as the resettlement and human rights problems remain unresolved. Affected people should not suffer repression for seeking redress for the damage they
have suffered, and the people who have been imprisoned for organizing and protesting peacefully should be immediately released. FoE International and IRN are also holding the governments that have provided funding for the Three Gorges Dam accountable for the human rights impacts of the project. Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Sweden and Switzerland have extended export credits and guarantees to the tune of more than $1.4 billion for the project. In many cases the governments claimed that their involvement would reduce the risk of human rights abuses. On March 31, the environmental groups called on the involved governments to closely monitor the human rights situation in the project area, and to extend no further export credits as long as the problems have not been resolved.
In response to the IRN report, the Swiss foreign minister committed to
"gathering additional information from a variety of sources" on the problems of the Three Gorges Project. Canada's foreign minister in turn claimed that Canada's involvement in the project was "minor" and "as a result, our ability to influence project implementation and impacts is very limited". The other involved governments have so far not responded to the
IRN report. "The failure by most Western governments to take any action in the face of serious human rights violations defeats the justification of why these governments got involved in the Three Gorges Project in the first place", comments Janneke Bruil of Friends of the Earth International. ### Background: With a planned capacity of 18,200 megawatts, the Three Gorges
Dam is the world's largest power project. More than 1.2 million people - and according to some estimates, up to 1.9 million people - will have to be resettled for the project. Reservoir filling will start on April 10, and will continue to 2008. Project officials have announced that additional contracts for turbines and generators for the Three Gorges power plant will be tendered before the end of 2003. The investigative report on the Three Gorges Project is available at http://www.irn.org/programs/threeg/3gcolor.pdf
The IRN March 31, 2003 presentation to United Nations Commission on Human Rights is at http://www.irn.org/programs/threeg/index.asp?id=030331.unchrpres.html
Further background information on the Three Gorges Project, video footage
of the resettlement process, and photos of the Three Gorges area are at
http://www.irn.org/programs/threeg/

 

02.04.03 : Iraq : Biblical Garden of Eden to disappear in five years
(EDIE News) As one would expect in a war-torn nation, Iraq’s environment is in a poor state, but a legacy of poor environmental management is also to blame, with the Marshlands of Mesopotamia, considered by some to be the site of the biblical Garden of Eden, expected to disappear within five years, says a new UN report.

complet Texte: http://www.edie.net/gf.cfm?L=left_frame.html&R=http://www.edie.net/news/Archive/6816.cfm

 

23.03.03 WWF today condemned governments at the World Water Forum for their failure to commit to a sustainable approach to ensure adequate water supply and sanitation.

WWF deeply regrets that instead of prioritizing the conservation of freshwater ecosystems — the source of all freshwater — the Forum emphasized the need for more water and energy infrastructure to meet the world’s growing demand. This blatantly disregards the UN Millennium Development goal to halve the number of people without access to water and sanitation by 2015, because much of this infrastructure will inevitably cause further social, economic, and environmental damage.

"The public has been badly served by their governments at this forum, who have adopted a ministerial declaration that is a backward step from previous commitments," said Jamie Pittock, Director of WWF's Living Waters Programme. "We have to ask how credible a forum like this is when governments do not draw on the 12,000 water specialists gathered together to identify common sense solutions to water problems, but instead continue to promote massive infrastructure as the sole solution to the world's water crisis."

One glaring omission in particular will affect millions of people, fisheries, wildlife and water sources. This was the absolute failure by governments to commit to review dam development projects. The findings of the first ever global research on the effect of dams compiled by the World Commission on Dams contained guidelines for dam developments and can reduce the loss of billions of dollars worth of damage that many large dams have already caused. WWF's call on governments to commit to using these guidelines went unheeded as pro-dam governments claimed environmental and social impacts of dams could be reduced, but could not agree on how to do so. For example, they were not able to agree to "environmental flows," the release of water from dams to help rivers function as naturally as possible. This is key to sustaining fisheries, floodplain forests and agriculture. The credibility of the forum was also undermined by the government's failure to acknowledge and commit to action to manage the impact of climate change on freshwater ecosystems and resources.

However, there were some positive signals. A few encouraging ouctomes include general recognition that investment is needed to improve environmental health as a source of clean water for people and nature; a commitment to conserve freshwater fisheries upon which the livelihoods of millions of people depend; and recognition that cooperation between countries that share rivers is essential to sustain their water supplies.

"The ministerial declaration could have been a blueprint for averting further human suffering caused by inadequate water supply and sanitation, instead it is marked by reticence to put protection of ecosystems first," said Jamie Pittock. "Governments must make conservation of ecosystems the starting point of any action plan to manage water resources if they are serious about ensuring water for all."

For further information: Mitzi Borromeo Press Officer, WWF International E-mail: MBorromeo@wwfint.org
Lisa Hadeed Communications Manager, WWF Living Waters Programme
Tel.: +41 22 364 9030 E-mail: LHadeed@wwfint.org

 

22.03.03. : World Water Day celebreted in Ebro Delta : 30 000 people.
Press release by the P.D.E.

The Platform for the Defence of the river Ebro (PDE) have celebrated World Water Day in Tortosa (Terres de l'Ebre, Catalonia).

On Friday, 21.3.03, Professor Javier Martinez Gil, Doctor in Hydrology at the University of Zaragoza gave a conference to over 100 people on the New Water Culture and how the Terres de l'Ebre (Lower Ebro region) are leading the way in new water thinking in Spain.

On Saturday morning (22.3.03), activists of the PDE and local citizens paraded through the streets of Tortosa as a "River of Life", giving out information on our campaign (against the out-dated Spanish National Hydrological Plan).

At the same time the Mayor of Tortosa was signing an agreement with the Foundation for a New Water Culture (FNCA) to open their office here in Tortosa. The FNCA is composed of over seventy Spanish university professors and other experts in the world of water, economy, agriculture, sociology, and ecology. Their objectives are the creation of and diffusion of the New Water Culture so desperately needed in Spain in the 21st century.

In the afternoon, the FNCA read out a declaration of Peace and Water in a live connection with the Alternative Water Forum in Florence.

In the evening there was an official act of the FNCA in the presence of the PDE, local institutions and other citizens of the Terres de l'Ebre. About 300 people gathered in Tortosa's theatre to hear various members of the FNCA and to attend the giving of the first annual prize for a New Water Culture, consisting of a bronze "dragon" and 3,000 euros. The prize was awarded to COAGRET (an association of the various groups in Spain affected by dam building and water transfers). The local component of COAGRET is the Anti-Transfer Co-ordinator which forms a part of the huge voluntary social movement known as the Platform for the Defence of the river Ebro currently campaigning against the Ebro transfer.

On Sunday (23.3.03) over 30,000 people demonstrated in Sant Jaume, in the centre of the Ebro Delta, in a colourful, spectacular, peaceful demonstration against the Ebro transfer. Local citizens were joined by the "Nunca Mais" social movement of Galicians affected by the Prestige disaster. Also present were groups from the entire Ebro Basin and other parts of Catalonia and Spain.

We feel World Water day was celebrated successfully this weekend but we cannot stop there.
PDE PRESS RELEASE.

22.03.03 : Célébration du Jour Mondial de l'Eau dans le Delta de l'Ebre : 30 000 personnes.
Communiqué de presse de la PDE (Plataforma en Defensa del Ebro).

La Plateforme pour la Défense de l'Ebre (PDE) a célébré le Jour Mondial de l'Eau à Tortosa (Terres de l'Ebre, Catalogne).

Le vendredi 21 mars 2003, le Professeur Javier Martinez Gil, Docteur en Hydrologie à l'Université de Zaragoza a donné une conférence devant plus de 100 personnes sur la Nouvelle Culture de l'Eau et comment les Terres de l'Ebre (région la plus basse de l'Ebre) montrent la voie sur la nouvelle façon de "penser" l'eau en Espagne.

Le samedi matin, (22.3.03), des activistes de la PDE et des citoyens locaux ont déferlé dans les rues de Tortosa, comme une "Rivière de vie" et ont distribué de l'information sur notre campagne contre l'archaÏque Plan Hydrologique National (PHN) espagnol.

Au même moment, le Maire de Tortosa signait un accord avec la Fondation pour une Nouvelle Culture de l'Eau (FNCA) pour l'ouverture de leur bureau à Tortosa. La FNCA est composée de plus de 70 professeurs d'universités espagnoles et autres experts, dans le monde de l'eau, l'économie, l'agriculture, la sociologie et l'écologie. Ses objectifs sont la création et la diffusion de la Nouvelle Culture de l'Eau, si désespéremment nécessaire en Espagne, pour le 21ème siècle.

Dans l'après-midi, la FNCA a lu une déclaration sur la Paix et l'Eau, en connection directe avec le Forum Alternatif de l'Eau de Florence.

Dans la soirée, s'est déroulée une cérémonie officielle organisée par la FNCA, en présence de la PDE, des institutions locales et de citoyens des Terres de l'Ebre. Dans le théâtre de Tortosa, environ 300 personnes se sont rassemblés pour écouter divers orateurs de la FNCA et pour assister à la remise du premier prix annuel pour une Nouvelle Culture de l'Eau. Ce prix consiste en un "dragon" de bronze et 3 000 euros. Le prix fut décerné à COAGRET (une association de plusieurs comités en Espagne, affectés par la construction de barrages et de transferts d'eau). Le but principal de COAGRET est d'établir une Coordination Anti-Transfert. Cette association fait partie de l'énorme mouvement social volontaire, connu comme la Plateforme de Défense de l'Ebre, actuellement en campagne contre le transfert de l'Ebre.

Dimanche 23 mars 2003, plus de 30 000 personnes ont défilé à Sant Jaume, dans le centre du Delta de l'Ebre. dans une manifestation colorée, spectaculaire et pacifique, contre le Transfert de l'Ebre. Les citoyens locaux furent rejoints par le mouvement social "Nunca Mais" des Galliciens affectés par le désastre du Prestige. D'autres groupes étaient également présents, venus de tout le bassin de l'Ebre et d'autres parties de Catalogne et d'Espagne.

Nous estimons que le Jour Mondial de l'Eau fut ainsi célébré avec beaucoup de succès. Mais nous ne nous arrêterons pas là.
Communiqué PDE/ Traduction ERN.

17.03.03: Don't bank on dams alone, urges WWF (at the World Water Forum Kyoto)

Kyoto, Japan ­ As the 3rd World Water Forum opens in Japan, WWF has warned that investors are risking some of the US$40 billion that is invested annually in dam projects that carry serious, hidden, long-term environmental, social, and economic costs.According to a WWF guide for investors in dams released this week, many investors are failing to carry out comprehensive assessments that would enable them to determine the long-term financial viability and public acceptability of a proposed dam, before they agree to fund it. The guide underlines that dams are often seen as an easy solution to a range of issues such as water shortages or growth in energy supply. However, without a proper analysis of energy and water needs, and the impacts of the dam, investors risk putting their money into a project that is not viable in the long term and risk their reputation.
"Investors can no longer afford to shut their ears and eyes to the long term impacts of water management projects around the world," said Jamie Pittock, Director of WWF’s Living Waters Programme. "If we are to solve the problems of the millions without access to water for drinking and sanitation, we must think beyond the age-old solutions of dams, dikes, and water transfer between river basins. WWF expects the World Water Forum to provide clear guidance on how we can service the world without simply resorting to expensive and socially and environmentally damaging infrastructure-based projects."
According to the WWF guide, the financial pitfalls associated with building dams include exaggerated projections of benefits, time and cost overruns, geological instability, sovereign risk and corruption, maintenance and decommissioning costs, and cost recovery and dam beneficiaries. Many of these could be reduced or even avoided if investors followed the guidelines of the World Commission on Dams, doing thorough assessments that examine both the need for the dam, its impacts, and alternatives, before they agree to finance it.
According to WWF, following these guidelines would also help to ensure that freshwater ecosystems deliver goods and services for millions of people. For example, two-fifths of the world's fish are freshwater species — and of these, 20 per cent are threatened, endangered, or have become extinct in recent decades. The freshwater fisheries of the Mekong River and tributaries alone are estimated to have a market value of nearly US$1 billion per year. However, water and energy infrastructure such as dams are threatening these freshwater resources, including the 73 million people living on and around the Mekong River who depend on fish and other resources in the river system for most of the protein in their diets.
“WWF urges financiers of water infrastructure to make conservation of ecosystems the centrepiece of any investment. Unless we change the way we do business, we will destroy nature, the very raw materials that make any kind of development possible." said Jamie Pittock.
For further information:
Dam Right Campaign
Doug Walker Communications Manager, WWF Dams Initiative Tel:+44 790 1687998
E-mail: DWalker@wwf.org.uk
Mitzi Borromeo
Press Officer, WWF International Tel: +41 70 4773553
E-mail: MBorromeo@wwfint.org
Note to editors:
• The World Commission on Dams (WCD), established by the World Bank and IUCN - The World Conservation Union in 1998, conducted a comprehensive review of the performance and impacts of large dams and issued a report (Dams and Development: A New Framework for Decision-Making) with recommendations for a new framework for decision-makers.


12.03.03 : Thursday, 13 March, an international debate entitled "Debating the water transfers of the Spanish National Hydrological Plan" will be held by video-conference.

This debate has been organised by the Foundation for a New Water Culture and UNED (University for Distance Education). The centre for this debate will be in the UNED of Madrid.
The American experts who prepared the study for the University of Cartagena will take part, as well as the American and Israeli experts who have carried out studies for the Aragon Government. Professors John W.Day and Edward Maltby of the Universities of Louisana and London respectively, will also take part as prestigious experts in the field of wetlands and river deltas. Over twenty Spanish universities will be connected to the video-conference. The Spanish Environment Minister has also been invited to participate.
Under the patronage of Alex de Roo, Vice-President of the environment committee, a connection will be made available in the European Parliament, Brussels, from 6:30pm on, for both following and participating in the debate. The video-conf will be in room PHS 5B 001. If you wish to attend and do not have a parliamentary pass, please contact Gianluca Solera (mobile +32 477 676 295) before Thursday morning.
The conference can also be followed by internet form 17.30 onwards at:
http://www.teleuned.com/teleuned2001/directo.asp?ID=373&Tipo=C
We hope the conference will be of interest to you and provide specific information on the Spanish Hydrological Plan.


PDE / ERN

10.03.03: Stop Alcoa From Destroying Iceland's Wilderness!

Source: International Rivers Network via Corpwatch

The Icelandic government plans to construct a large hydropower project in Iceland's Eastern Highlands, one of Europe's largest remaining wilderness areas, in order to supply power to a US aluminum smelter owned by Alcoa. The "Kahranjukar Project" involves building miles of roads, boring a series of tunnels, diverting dozens of rivers to create 3 reservoirs and erect nine dams, including one that is 630 feet -- Europe's highest. The level of the immense reservoir will fluctuate seasonally, from 170 to 250 feet.

The Karahnjukar Project would supply power to a planned Alcoa aluminum smelter. US-based Alcoa is the world's largest aluminum producer and is moving to Iceland not to expand production, but to cut costs. It is closing smelters in the US and moving to Iceland where the government is offering dirt-cheap electricity.
The aluminum plant will get a subsidized rate, thought to be about 1.5 cents/kWh. The price will rise and fall with the price of aluminum (which is currently quite low, due to a glut on the market). The utility has yet to release the price at which it will sell Alcoa its hydropower. It's not just cheap power that draws Alcoa to Iceland: Iceland's reliance on geothermal power has given it an exemption from the Kyoto Protocol's fossil fuel emissions, which would allow Alcoa's smelter to operate without having to pay penalties for any carbon dioxide emissions.

What is at Stake

If Karahnjukar goes forward, a large wilderness area will be sacrificed so that the world can consume cheaper aluminum. The massive project will be built on the north side of Europe's greatest glacier, Vatnajokull, a vast ice field beneath which lie several active volcanoes. The project will drown 22 square miles of tundra, presently the grazing grounds for more than 2,000 reindeer and the nesting ground for the pink-footed goose, and affect the flows of close to 60 waterfalls. In early summer, silt from the exposed banks will blow off all over the countryside.
Iceland's equivalent of America's Grand Canyon, Dimmugljufur, or Dark Canyon, is a deep cleft carved out by the region's most powerful glacial river, the Jokulsa a Bru. The part of the canyon between the edge of the glacier and the dam will be submerged; on the far side of the dam, it will become a dry gulch, the impounded water diverted through a 25-mile-long tunnel to the power station that will generate the electricity needed for Alcoa's smelter. The Karahnjukar Project officials claim that it will create close to 750 jobs in Eastern Iceland, an economically disadvantaged region. Yet the economics of the project are questionable. According to an independent analysis commissioned by Iceland's Nature Conservation Agency, it will likely produce annual losses of $36 million. These funds could be spent for creating other jobs that don't destroy a major wilderness area.

Take Action! The Iceland Nature Conservation Association (INCA) has led a strong campaign against Karahnjukar for several years. So far it has included regular large demonstrations, daily protests at the parliament building, a hunger strike and a court case against the environment minister. The environmental activists want to turn the area into a National Park of "Fire and Ice." For more information, please visit: www.inca.is

But time is running out. The Icelandic government plans to sign the agreements for the project to go ahead before the national elections of May 2003. At this critical hour, Iceland's campaign against Karahnjukar needs your support. Please go to : http://www.corpwatch.org/action/PAA.jsp?articleid=5828 to send a free fax to Alcoa telling them to withdraw from their destructive project in Iceland immediately.

08.03.03 : Spain designates 10 new RAMSAR sites and extends an existing one

The hosts of Ramsar COP8 in Valencia announced during the Conference the designation of 11 new Ramsar sites. Ten of them are now ready for inclusion in the List (the Ramsar Bureau is still awaiting a map for the eleventh: Bahía de Cádiz). They include small wetlands, some of them intermittent, from all over the country, including four in the País Vasco (Basque country) contiguous with France and one in the Canary Islands.
Read more at http://www.ramsar.org/w.n.spain_10new.htm

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20030302/ap_wo_en_po/eu_gen_spain_water_rally_1


05.03.03 : AN INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE OF EXPERIENCES" PUBLISHED ON-LINE

On 5 and 6 February 2003 water directors and experts of the EU and newly admitted states gathered to a workshop in Bonn to promote European cooperation on flood protection. The papers of this workshop have just been published on-line at http://www.ecologic.de/floods2003

04.03.03 : UN warns of future water crisis

UN warns of future water crisis
The world faces an unprecedented lack of fresh water due to poor
leadership, a UN report claims.
Full story (BBC): http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/2/hi/science/nature/2820831.stm

02.03.03 Spain : Hundred of Thousands protest in favor of polemic water plan (AP)

Hundreds of thousands of people rallied Sunday in the eastern city of Valencia in favor of a national water plan that has divided Spain since its approval nearly two years ago.
The demonstration, called by Young Farmers Associations, attracted tens of thousands of agricultural workers, business representatives and political party members from the eastern and southern regions of Valencia, Murcia and Almeria, three areas which stand to benefit most from the plan.
Read more at http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20030302/ap_wo_en_po/eu_gen_spain_water_rally_1
Source: AP World Politics / WaterTech.Online

 

28.02.03: China: Don't ignore downsides of dams, official warns

by Kelly Haggart
Pan Jiazheng, one of China's top engineers, has issued a strongly worded warning to his profession not to deny the disadvantages of water projects, or neglect to address the harmful impacts when they occur.
http://www.threegorgesprobe.org/tgp/index.cfm?DSP=content&ContentID=6653 complet Texte see Probe 3 Gorges Website

 

26.02.03: Signing of Rhine cooperation agreement in Kyoto
His Royal Highness the Prince of Orange will attend the Third World Water Forum in Kyoto, Japan, from 16-18 March 2003. He will deliver an address during the opening session and will attend a session on Water and Climate and the Youth Water Forum. The Prince will also be present at the signing of a cooperation agreement by the two international river commissions for the Rhine and Plata rivers. A Ministerial Conference will be held on 22 and 23 March on the occasion of the World Water Forum in Kyoto. The Conference will discuss the global water crisis.
Source: Netherlands Government Information Service RVD


25.02.03: EU tax payers should not fund Spain's damaging water plan (WWF)

Despite protests and numerous complaints, Spain seems determined to push ahead with the Spanish National Hydrological Plan (SNHP) and its largest element, the Ebro River water transfer - a massive undertaking that will redistribute water from one end of the country to the other. The flooding of the Ebro River this month added further fuel to the political fire, stimulating calls to pipe "excess" water to the south instead of "losing" it to the sea. But this outdated plan goes against sustainable development, modern water and river basin management, and environmental protection - all concepts enshrined in EU laws. This could even make subsidising it with some €8 billion of EU money, which Spain plans to request from the European Commission, illegal.
Source WWF
Complet Pressrelease: http://www.panda.org/about_wwf/where_we_work/europe/news/news.cfm?uNewsID=6022
http://www.rivernet.org/Iberian/planhydro.htm for more information on the PHN visit our pages on ERNs SERVER FOR LIVING RIVERS (engl, français, spanish)

 

17-18.06.03 : European Flooding: Managing the Risks, Thames Barrier, London - UK
A decade ago the predictions of extreme weather prompted by climate change seemed remote both in the UK and Europe but the major floods of the last 3 years have provided powerful reminders of the costs and threats that we are now facing. There is no doubt that major flood events are now a tragic reality rather than hypothesis.
The aim of this meeting is to bring together UK and European experience on the recent major flooding incidents, to share the knowledge that has been gained and to develop an effective European Forum for these issues.
The meeting is being organised by CMS.
Programm: http://www.ewaonline.de/downloads/flood_prog.pdf
For details contact: bob.earll@coastms.co.uk

15.05.03 : Beaches and Bathing Waters - Implications for the Revision to the Bathing Water Directive, London - UK
Over the past three years the European Commission and Member States have undertaken a number of studies and scientific reviews to develop a revised proposal for a new Bathing Water Directive. The proposal was released in October 2002 and is currently being considered by the European Parliament and Commission.
The aim of this conference is to provide an opportunity to influence the thinking on the Directive and inform a balanced assessment of the benefits and pitfalls of the proposed approach. This should enable a wide range of stakeholders to engage in and respond to the revision process.
Organised by CMS - Coastal Management for Sustainability. The Programme will be available in late February. For details contact bob.earll@coastms.co.uk

 

19.02.03: Announcement: INTERNATIONAL DAY OF ACTION AGAINST DAMS
AND FOR RIVERS, WATER AND LIFE MARCH 14th, 2003

The 6th Annual International Day of Action Against Dams and for Rivers,
Water and Life on March 14th, 2003 is approaching fast. We urge you to
participate. This is a time to act in solidarity to celebrate our rivers,
protest destructive development, and enjoy the successes of last year.


Join the movement for healthy rivers and communities by planning an event or
attending an action near you. From campaigning for thriving fisheries and
clean water to taking down bad dams, we continue to push our causes forward.
Join us on March 14th to show the world that we are standing together in the
fight for living rivers and the rights of communities over their natural
resources .

WHAT YOU CAN DO (AND HOW WE CAN HELP ! 
Go to
Background Information and actions


contact worldwide:
dayofaction@irn.org

 

10.02.03 : Announcement 1st People World Water Forum ( 21./22. March, Florence), engl, français, ital, port, span.)
           

06.02.03 : second call for Preregistration and Abstract Submission.
29.09 - 2.10.2003
Conference on Lowland River Rehabilitation, Wageningen, the Netherlands. Participants will be selected based on preliminary registration (The deadline for preregistration and submitting abstracts will be extended to March 1, 2003).

02.02.03 : Conférence Announcement : Turnu Magurele (Roumanie), 10-12 April 2003 Conférence européenne sur le rôle des autorités territoriales dans la gestion du bassin du Danube .

La reconstruction écologique du Bassin du Danube a été dans le passé – et est encore!- une des préoccupations majeures du Conseil de l’Europe. Le Congrès des pouvoirs locaux et régionaux de l’Europe (CPLRE), a récemment préparé deux rapports sur ce sujet : un sur “la gestion des ressources hydriques transfrontières en Europe” et un autre, encore à finaliser, sur le “rôle des autorités territoriales dans la gestion du bassin du Danube : une analyse du Danube basée sur l’expérience du Rhin”. A travers ces rapports, le CPLRE a essayé d’analyser les meilleures pratiques de la gestion de l’eau et à ce propos, la contribution de la Province de Gelderland (Pays-Bas), qui a soutenu directement l’organisation de la Conférence, a été particulièrement importante. En suivant l’exemple du Rhin, une initiative concrète qui sera proposée pendant la Conférence est l’idée de diviser le bassin du Danube en sous-bassins hydrographiques. Il s’agit d’un pas nécessaire en vue de redessiner la réhabilitation du «Système Danube». Le Conseil départemental de Teleorman est le promoteur principal de la Conférence qui se tiendra à Turnu Magurele, une ville particulièrement préoccupée par le destin du Danube.
pour plus d'informations

02.02.03 : European Conference on the role of territorial authorities in the management of river basin: an analysis of the Danube Turnu Magurele (Romania), 10-11-12 April 2003

The ecological reconstruction of the Danube River Basin has been in the past - and still is!- one of the major concerns of the Council of Europe. The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe (CLRAE) has recently prepared two reports on this subject: one on “transboundary water resources in Europe” and the other, still to be finalised, on “the role of territorial authorities in the management of river basin: an analysis of the Danube based on the experience of the Rhine”. Within its reports, the CLRAE has tried to analyse the best practices in water management and for this purpose the contribution of the Gelderland Province of Netherlands, which has strongly supported the organisation of the Conference, has been particularly important. Following the Rhine’s example, a concrete initiative, that will be proposed during the Conference, is the idea of dividing the Danube River Basin in sub-catchment river areas. This is considered a necessary step in order to re-design the rehabilitation of the Danube River System. The Teleorman County Council is the main promoter of the Conference which is to be held in Turnu Magurele, a city strongly concerned by the destiny of the Danube river. (more ... )


01.02.03: Water Framework Directive will be good for revenue and employment

Despite fears from the water industry of high costs of implementing European water legislation, the Water Framework Directive will not only be good for the environment, but if implemented correctly, will create jobs and revenue for the UK, says the Environment Industries Commission.
complet texte : Edie News

11.01.03: Computer model predicts nitrogen loading across large basins

A computer model that can estimate nitrogen loading across large areas has been developed by French researchers. The model is designed to emulate Mediterranean basins that experience episodes of flooding and drought resulting in the build-up of pollutants.
Although software already exists for estimating nitrogen loading in rivers and lagoons, it is typically limited to basins a few kilometres wide, because of the amount of input information needed to process the calculations. The new model, developed by Sylvain Payraudeau at the French Institute for Agriculture and the Environment, Cemagref, requires only a few pieces of information to estimate loading across basins 50 km wide. It can also predict the effect of rain on the movement of nitrogen.
The model is designed to help France estimate the build-up of nitrogen in Mediterranean basins polluted by sewage plants and agricultural run-off. Areas such as the Herault lagoons are typically subject to flash floods followed by long periods of drought, and regularly suffer from eutrophication.

Source: Edie news

10.01.03: China launches largest water diversion project in the world

China has officially launched the world's largest water diversion project, which will divert water from the Yangtze River in the south to the country's dry north, including Beijing.
Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji gave the go-ahead on 27 December, for the first phase of the south-north cross-country water-transfer project at a ceremony held at the Great Hall of the People.
The project, valued at US$59 billion, may cost twice as much as the ongoing Three Gorges Hydroelectric Project.
The project will be the biggest of its kind in the world and the largest engineering program in China. It consists of three canals running about 1,300 km through the country's eastern, middle and western parts.
It will benefit the cities of Beijing and Tianjin, and Jiangsu and Shandong provinces.
This project is hoped to relieve water shortages in north China, conserve water, tackle pollution and be environmentally friendly, according to officials.
A simultaneous ceremony was also held in Jangsu and Shandong provinces, where the three water diversion channels will run through.
According to the article, by 2050 it is expected the project will be capable of shifting 44.8 billion cubic meters of water annually.

Source: Edie news

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