INTERNATIONAL NEWS

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

 

04.12.04 : Announcement : Danube NGO Summit in Vienna, 11. Dezember 2004
(20 years Hainburg)

Ladies and Gentlemen, dear friends of the Danube!

20 years have passed since the successful campaign against the
hydro-electric power plant in Hainburg. This does not mean that the status
of the Danube River has been completely secured. On the contrary, the
pressure on Europe’s lifeline has increased, not only in Austria. In the
name of the inland navigation, the Danube River is planned to be developed
and channelized from the Bavarian stretch to the Ukrainian Danube Delta.
More than 1,000 kilometres of valuable river ecosystems are threatened.

Also in the Austrian National park not everything is going the way it
should. Roads are planned where nature should be protected.

For these reasons, we are cordially inviting you to an International Danube
Summit taking place in Vienna from 10-11 December 2004.

Environmental organizations from 10 countries will participate. They will
discuss problems and strategies for the protection of the Danube River. For
instance, the foundation of an NGO network in relation to the waterway
transport is planned. At 14:30h there will be the possibility of an
excursion to the Danube National park near Vienna. The topic will be the
construction of a passage through the Lobau and other traffic projects in
the Danube region.

The Summit will be opened by a film evening on 10 December at 19:00h and
will be held in English.
On 11 December the International Danube Summit will be opened.

Place: Naturhistorisches Museum Time: 10/12 at 19:00h
Burgring 7 11/12 at
09:00h - 17:30h
1010 Vienna
Cinema room (Kinosaal)

We will end the day with a Danube celebration:
Place: Weberknecht Time: from 20:00h
Lerchenfeldergürtel 49
1160 Vienna

!!!!!Your registration is mandatory!!!!!

more information : Invitation and forms in english (pdf)
Einladung und Formulare in deutsch (pdf)


weitere Links zu Aktivitäten rund um die 20 Jahre Hainburg :
http://www.wwf.at/Channels/wasser/wissenswertes/articlefolder300/article545/index.html

http://www.hainburg20.at/default.php?page=home

einladung deutsch , english

source:
Oekobuero
Koordinationsstelle oesterr. Umweltorganisationen
Volksgartenstrasse 1
1010 Wien
tel ++43/1/5249377-14
fax ++43/1/5249377-20
www.oekobuero.at

04.12.04 : Hungary and Slovak republic list transboundary Ramsar site on Tisza river

At the opening session of the 5th Ramsar European Meeting in Yerevan, 4 December 2004, representatives of Hungary and the Slovak Republic announced their joint designation of portions of the Tisza (Tisa) River as a transboundary Ramsar Wetland of International Importance. The Tisza is the largest tributary of the Danube, with a catchment area 1.5 times bigger than the area of Hungary, and the upper reaches of the river are 400 kilometers long and pass through four countries. Hungary's Felso-Tisza (Upper Tisza) and the Slovak Republic's Tisa River join the Ramsar List as of 4 December.
Read more... http://www.ramsar.org/w.n.tisza_transboundary.htm
Source: Ramsar

04.12.04 : Czech republic designates cave complex for the ramsar list

The Secretariat is pleased to report that the Administrative Authority in the Czech Republic, the Ministry of the Environment, has nominated "Punkva subterranean stream (Podzemní Punkva" for the List of Wetlands of International Importance, as of 18 March 2004. The Czech Republic now has added 11 Ramsar sites since the country joined the Convention in 1990. Ramsar's Estelle Gironnet has prepared this brief site description of the site, based upon the Ramsar Information Sheet submitted with the designation instrument.
Read more... http://www.ramsar.org/w.n.czech_punkva.htm

04.12.04 : Belgium and Luxembourg designate a common transboundary Ramsar site

The Sure is a transboundary river that originates in Belgium and, after a 31 kilometer course, forms a natural border of 12km with Luxembourg before crossing that country and joining the Moselle in Germany. (…) Now the Ramsar Administrative Authorities in both Parties have jointly submitted the Vallee de la Haute-Sure site as a transboundary Wetland of International Importance. In addition, Belgium has also designated a further two Ramsar sites, namely the Grotte des Emotions, a newly-discovered subterranean karst system, and the Hautes Fagnes, a site rich in peatlands. More information on Vallee de la Haute-Sure and Grotte des Emotions and Haute Fagnes. http://www.ramsar.org/w.n.belgium_sure.htm
http://www.ramsar.org/w.n.belgium_fagnes.htm
Source: Ramsar

30.11.04 : UNESCO, WWAP: "a dream of water"

The educational documentary 'A Dream of Water' was presented to water experts and country delegations at UNESCO Headquarters on 30 November 2004. The city of Zaragoza financed this 58 minute Bausan Films educational documentary under the auspices of UNESCO and World Water Assessment Programme (WWAP). 'A Dream of Water' will raise awareness on the sustainable uses of water resources within the framework of the upcoming International Decade for Action, "Water for Life", 2005-2015.
Read more...http://www.unesco.org/water/
Source: UNESCO

26.11.04 : Ilisu / Türkei: Staudammprojekt kommt wieder

Artikel im WirtschaftsBlatt Verlag AG (26.11.04)

Die unendliche Geschichte des Ilisu

WirtschaftsBlatt.

Die Planung des Ilisu-Staudamms im Kurdengebiet Südostanatoliens zieht sich bereits über Jahre. 75 Kilometer oberhalb der syrischen und irakischen Grenze soll hinter einer 1820 Meter langen und 135 Meter hohen Mauer ein 313 Quadratkilometer grosser Stausee entstehen. 3800 Gigawattstunden Strom könnte das zweitgrösste türkische Kraftwerk produzieren. Zum Vergleich: Das österreichische Kraftwerk Kaprun bringt es auf 330 MW. Geplant war die Fertigstellung des Prestigeobjekts für das Jahr 2007.

Für den Bau sollten ursprünglich 65 Gemeinden überflutet und 30.000 Kurden umgesiedelt werden. Unter den betroffenen Orten befindet sich die als archäologische Fundstätte geschützte Stadt Hasankeyf. Der Staudamm ist auch als aussenpolitisches Machtinstrument umstritten, da die Türkei dadurch ihren Nachbarn flussabwärts das Wasser abdrehen kann. Allein zum Füllen des Staubeckens wird die Hälfte des Wassers, das der Tigris in einem halben Jahr führt, benötigt. Zudem hätte der Stausee ausreichend Kapazitäten, um den Fluss für einige Monate zu sperren.

Drohendes Scheitern

1999 kaufte sich die VA Tech mit der Übernahme der Hydro-Abteilung des Schweizer Unternehmens Escher Wyss (früher Sulzer) in das umstrittene Bauvorhaben ein. Dabei handelt es sich um einen 300-Mio.-Euro-Auftrag für den Bau von Turbinen.

Die Finanzierung war von Anfang an unsicher: 1984 verweigerte die Weltbank Gelder, und obwohl die Oesterreichische Kontrollbank 2001 die Exportgarantien für ein Teilrisiko übernahmen, kam es 2002 zum Ausstieg des Hauptfinanciers, der Grossbank UBS. Grund: Unbefriedigender Projektfortschritt. Bereits ein Jahr davor hatten sich die ausländischen Partner Skanska, Balfour Beatty und Impreglio wegen kommerzieller, ökologischer und sozialer Bedenken zurückgezogen.

Damit lag das Zwei-Milliarden-Dollar-Projekt vorerst auf Eis. Für den damaligen VA Tech-Vorstand Erich Becker war der Staudamm "kaum realisierbar". Der Bau würde an der Finanzierung scheitern. Nun wagt die VA Tech einen neuen Anlauf. Der Ilisu-Staudamm soll – abgespeckt auf ein Volumen von einer Milliarde Euro und unter Wahrung der Kulturschätze – doch noch gebaut werden. Proteste von Umweltorganisationen sind auf jeden Fall programmiert. WWF-Sprecher Ulrich Eichel-mann: "Die ökologischen Aspekte des Projekts werden in keiner Weise berücksichtigt."

Isabell Widek © WirtschaftsBlatt Verlag AG

24.11.04 : Montenegrins Resist Plan to Flood Spectacular Gorge (Reuters)


MONTENEGRO: November 24, 2004
PODGORICA, Serbia and Montenegro - Montenegrins protested outside
parliament on Tuesday urging the government to abandon plans to build a dam
that would flood the most scenic part of its breathtaking Tara River canyon.

Locals say the spectacular 80 km (50 mile) canyon, a United Nations World
Heritage site, is the most beautiful in the world after Colorado's Grand
Canyon.

They fear a dam to be built in neighbouring Bosnia would turn the rapid
Tara waters loved by rafters into "a swamp".

The Tara river canyon, part of the Durmitor National Park, features one of
the deepest gorges in Europe, swathed in dense pine forests and lined with
deep, clear lakes.

It is one of Montenegro's main tourist attractions.

Parliament was debating a declaration on protection of the site, launched
by a non-government organisation. More than one hundred activists gathered
outside, distributing Tara calendars with the words "Tara, the tears of
Europe" written on them.

The declaration was likely to be backed by the opposition parties and a
junior coalition partner of Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic's Democratic
Party of Socialists (DPS).

Djukanovic said that even if adopted, the declaration was not binding. He
said the public was reacting emotionally and without the necessary facts.

"We do not need emotions but reason. We should protect our environmental
heritage but we should not block future generations from building energy
facilities," Djukanovic said.

Tara defenders said their concern was not purely emotional.

"The citizens did not sign the declaration on a whim, when we lose Tara we
lose something we will never get back," said Sinisa Stevovic, one of the
project's opponents.

The dam would be built on the River Drina in the Serb half of neighbouring
Bosnia and flood about 12 km of the Tara canyon.

The Montenegrin government has said that would provide enough power to cut
the republic's energy deficit by one third.

The Bosnian Serb government said its power company had spent $26 million in
a feasibility study for the $480 million project but financing was still
uncertain and an environmental report was also pending.

Djukanovic said the Montenegrin government was struggling to overcome a
growing power shortage. He said power imports this year cost the tiny
republic of 650,000 people some 50 million euros ($65.20 million).

A government spokesman said Montenegro, a self-declared "environmental
state", would base its decision on the opinion of the U.N. Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) who were called to assess the
plan.

"The government has clearly said it would build nothing if the UNESCO stand
is negative," he said. Bosnia has also said that approving the project
hinges on its environmental impact.

(additional reporting by Daria Sito-Sucic in Sarajevo)
Story by Ljubinka Cagorovic

source: REUTERS NEWS SERVICE
http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm?newsid=28259&newsdate=24-Nov-2004

03.12.04 : U.S. Rules Out Dam Removal to Aid Salmon (New York Times)

U.S. Rules Out Dam Removal to Aid Salmon
By Felicity Barringer, The New York Times
December 1, 2004


WASHINGTON - The Bush administration on Tuesday ruled out the possibility
of removing federal dams on the Columbia and Snake Rivers to protect 11
endangered species of salmon and steelhead, even as a last resort.

In an opinion issued by the fisheries division of the National
Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, the government declared that
the eight large dams on the lower stretch of the two rivers are an
immutable part of the salmon's environment.

Endangered fish, the opinion said, can be protected by a variety of
measures, including carrying fish around dams and building weirs - a new
type of weir that works like a water slide - to ease young fishes' journey
through dams as they swim downstream to the ocean. The total cost of the
10-year effort was projected at $6 billion. Assuming annual expenditures
of $600 million, this represents a slight increase over existing spending
for this purpose.

"It is clear that each of the dams already exists, and their existence is
beyond the present discretion" of federal agencies to reverse, the opinion
said.

The decision is a departure from the Clinton administration's approach to
salmon protection. In 2000, it adopted a policy that allowed for dam
removal, although only if all other measures had failed.

The Bush administration opinion, first released in draft form in
September, provoked immediate outrage on the part of environmentalists and
some tribal groups, who see it as another in a series of federal actions
weakening protection for the salmon that are an integral part of the
regional identity of the Northwest, and whose numbers have been sharply
reduced over the decades by overfishing, dam construction, industrial
pollution and suburban sprawl.

Earlier this year the fisheries division proposed including fish bred in
hatcheries along with their wild cousins when calculating whether a salmon
species is still endangered.

Environmentalists say the administration is retreating from the goal of
recovering salmon to robust populations, settling for the status quo.

A spokesman for the fisheries division disagreed, saying the actions the
agencies were taking or planned to take would be sufficient to protect the
salmon. In a conference call Tuesday afternoon, officials of the fisheries
service and the other agencies involved pointed out that they had drafted
a letter addressed to the citizens of the Northwest with the assurance
that "this approach does not represent a reduction in our commitment to
salmon recovery."

In May, a senior Commerce Department official wrote to Congress that
despite the decision to include hatchery fish when determining the health
of fish populations, the department would probably conclude that most
species currently considered endangered would remain so.

In a conference call Tuesday afternoon on the guidance to dam operators,
Bob Lohn of the Northwest regional office of the fisheries service said,
"The actions proposed by the federal agencies do provide major steps in
making their operations fish-friendly." The dams already include fish
ladders that enable many adult salmon to reach the higher parts of the
rivers where they spawn.

The policy is effectively a roadmap to guide the operations of the federal
agencies and power authorities that operate dams on the Columbia and Snake
Rivers. It also includes an appendix with detailed prescriptions for
"reducing the risk factors" for eight of the 11 species - prescriptions
which, in some cases, call for some commingling of hatchery and wild fish.

But, Mr. Lohn added, the policy "does not suggest that the dams result in
no damage or that nothing should be done" to mitigate the effects that
occur. Referring to the letter, he added, "We desire and we are eager to
work with the region, with states and tribes, to complete the
comprehensive plan" to set priorities for salmon recovery.

But one representative of the National Wildlife Federation immediately
asserted that the letter to the citizens did not have the standing of the
formal biological opinion and so amounted to no legal commitment. John
Kober, the wildlife program manager in the group's Seattle office, said,
"What we'd likely find if this plan were carried out in 10 years is
exactly where we are today - fish hovering near extinction thresholds and
never getting one step closer to recovery."

The National Wildlife Federation, along with the State of Oregon,
successfully sued the Commerce Department, parent of the fisheries
service, winning a judgment in 2003 that found that the Clinton policy,
which included the possibility of dam removal among other remedies, was
too vague and did not go far enough to protect the fish.

That judgment, by Judge James Redden of Federal District Court in
Portland, opened the door for the Bush administration to revisit the issue
and produce the opinion that was announced on Tuesday.

After the new policy was proposed in September, Judge Redden expressed
skepticism at a court hearing, warning that the administration could be
headed for a "train wreck."

Mr. Kober said Tuesday that "we certainly are looking seriously at
continuing our litigation as a last resort," in light of the new opinion.
An Oregon fish and wildlife official said officials there were still
studying the opinion.

source : New York Times :
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/01/politics/01fish.html?oref=login
via irn-dams@lists.irn.org


03.12.04 : South Asian organizations join to resist river interlinking
(Presserelase)

NATIONAL ALLIANCE OF PEOPLE'S MOVEMENTS
Haji Habib Bldg, Naigaon Cross Rd, Dadar (E), Mumbai -14 (022-241505290
Delhi contact: 98918 14707

Press Note, December 3, 2004

ORGANIZATIONS JOIN FOR NATIONWIDE AND SOUTH ASIAN RESISTANCE TO
INTERLINKING OF RIVERS

Outcome of Delhi Meet

While the Union government had expressed its commitment for the
interlinking of rivers in the Supreme Court, the people's movements,
environmental and irrigation experts, economists and prominent social and
political activists made a scathing criticism of the much flaunted project
and unequivocally rejected the idea and instead called for a
multi-pronged, low cost, environmentally sustainable and decentralized
options. The organizations have declared of forming the all-India and
South Asian Solidarity for sharing and caring the rivers that run through
the countries like India, Bangladesh and Nepal.

In a resolution adopted at the end of the two-day national convention on
the Interlinking or the Rivers Project, on Friday (December 3), the
organizations and experts exposed the hollowness of claims regarding the
project and its adverse impacts on country's economy, communities,
environment and political-social fabric. They made it clear that the ILR's
claim regarding flood control and drought proofing are illusory and its
technology and economics are "flawed". Accordingly, the project would
result in loss of the habitat and livelihood of rural, tribal and
marginalized sections of the country; it would also be the first step in
the direction of the privatization and corporatization of water, taking
away community control. The speakers accused that the
national-multinational capital is interested in appropriating the means of
livelihood and resources of the people, and the ILR is one such step.

Instead they asked the government to make a realistic assessment of the
potential of decentralized and participatory rainwater harvesting, least
cost schemes and achieve optimum benefits out of already and ongoing
projects, by reviewing them.

The organizations have decided to meet the Prime Minister and President
regarding this matter and also to seek clarifications from all the
political parties on this issue, along with ting the issue in the rural,
urban and tribal communities. The organizations are already organizing the
river valley people and to initiate mass movement on this issue. .

Large Scale Opposition

It was clear that the organizations and peoples from the North East states
are firmly opposing any move to tinker with the waters of Brahmputra, the
Orissa organizations have refused that there was any surplus water in
Hirakud and instead narrated the devastations caused by the Damodar Valley
and others large dam projects. Activists and researchers from Kerala,
Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and other states decried the
project. But the most severe indictment came from the organizations in
Bihar, who debunked the tradition of embankments and the Farakka barrage
for the worsening the flood situation in the state.

Ms. Hasna, the IUCN expert from Bangladesh made it a passionate plea for
desisting from the project in the interest oif millions of farmers and
villagers in her country and India. She put forth the idea of the South
Asian solidarity for sharing the river waters for the prosperity and good
relations. Bangla Desh is the first country to protest against the ILR
with India government.

Apart from accentuating the interstate and international problems, the ILR
was found to be against the interests of the people - particularly the
tribal, peasants, urban and rural poor. Dr. B.D. Sharma, former
commissioner for SC/ST, lambasted the judiciary and the President for
touting such an anti-people and impractical project and suspected that all
seem to be a conspiracy to snatch the rights and resources from the hands
of common people in this country.

Spilling the Beans

Former Union Secretary for Water Resources, Ramaswamy Iyer wondered
whether the ILR is a concept or a project. He pointed out that the ILR is
not a part of any budget, Five-Year Plan and it will drain all resources,
energy and attention of the nation with no commensurate benefit. He
wondered why the the present government is acting on its promise to review
the project and making an about turn by committing the government for the
project in the Supreme Court. Mr. Iyer and every speaker criticized the
government and officialdom of crass non-transparent attitude and
unwillingness to share any information.

In the inauguration session on Thursday (Dec. 2), the former Union
Minister for Agriculture and the former member of Planning Commission, Mr.
Som Pal made some plain talk on this issue. He revealed that the Planning
Commission has prepared a plan of completing the ongoing dams, watershed
development and other measures, costing about Rs. 1, 38,000 crores.
However, the union government did not take up that citing the reason of
lack of finances. “Then how come, all of a sudden a mere concept, without
any analysis or feasibility surveys and costing more than Rs. 5,60,000
crores becomes an all-time favourite scheme for the government?” he asked.
He made it clear that there is no surplus water in the rivers slated to be
interlinked, except that in Brahmputra. And the Brahmputra waters can be
diverted either through the Bangla Desh, which is geo-politically
impossible of through the ‘chicken neck’ area from Siliguri- which again
is too narrow and falls within the seismic zone. According to him the Task
Force on the ILR was created to analyse the project and not to support and
justify it.

Medha Patkar, the National Convenor of the National Aliance of People's
Movements (NAPM), castigated the "scientist" President of India for
spearheading the cause of such an unsubstantiated project, which has
unbecoming influence on all fronts of the governance including the judiciary.

With the people's movements declaring its intent, the ball is in now the
court of the government,

Sanjay Sangvai

source : irn-dams@lists.irn.org


02.12.04 : Boycott de la Banque mondiale à Paris par des ONG : pour des
réformes de fond ! (Pressrelease FOE)

NOG's boykottieren Weltbank in Paris: Mehr grunsätzliche
Reformen (Pressemittlg. Freunde der Erde)

Paris, le 2 décembre 2004

Faisant écho aux protestations exprimées à Rio de Janeiro, Manille et
Nairobi, les Amis de la Terre et de nombreuses ONG françaises ont décidé
de boycotter la prochaine consultation de la Société Financière
Internationale (SFI, bras armé de la Banque mondiale pour les
entreprises) à Paris le 3 décembre. Les Amis de la Terre manifesteront
devant le lieu de réunion. La Plateforme pour des Droits, Devoirs et
Responsabilités - dont les deux cent signataires représentent plus d'un
millier d'organisations dans 53 pays - sera rendue publique à l'occasion
de cet événement : elle réunit des groupes de la société civile et des
investisseurs socialement responsables et appelle la SFI à établir des
règles pour l'investissement privé protégeant les intérêts des plus
pauvres et l'environnement.

La SFI a lancé une révision majeure de ses politiques sociales,
environnementales et de divulgation, transformant ses règles
contraignantes en normes flexibles et subjectives. La révision est très
fortement critiquée par la société civile, des investisseurs et même des
industries à la fois pour cette nouvelle orientation de fond, et pour le
processus de consultation. Ce processus est précipité, hâtif, et ne rend
pas public tous les documents clés dans les langues adéquates. Du fait
du manque de crédibilité de ces consultations, de nombreuses
organisations ont choisi de les boycotter et de manifester partout où
elles se déroulent dans le monde.

« Plus de flexibilité est une autre manière d'éviter de prendre des
engagements contraignants », explique Sébastien Godinot des Amis de la
Terre. « En tant qu'institution de développement, la Banque mondiale a
l'obligation de protéger les populations locales et l'environnement.
Nous demandons des règles plus strictes en leur faveur, non des
standards flexibles conçus pour favoriser les intérêts des
multinationales ».

Le processus de révision aura un impact significatif car la SFI a un
portefeuille d'activités de 23,5 milliards de dollars dans les pays en
développement en 2004, et parce que ses standards sont de plus en plus
suivis par d'autres institutions. Les vingt grandes banques privées
ayant signé les principes d'Equateur (qui représentent 75% des
financements de projets dans le monde) se sont ainsi engagées à suivre
les normes de la SFI. De même, plusieurs agences de crédit à
l'exportation prennent ces standards en compte.

Les signataires de la Plateforme demandent :
- le respect des normes internationales les plus élevées en matière
sociale, environnementale, de droits humains et du travail comme
condition d'accès aux prêts de la SFI ;
- l'établissement de mécanismes de mise en oeuvre et de contrôle des
normes nettement plus efficaces, en rejetant la proposition
d'auto-contrôle par les seules entreprises ;
- la mise en place de conditions pour un dialogue significatif avec les
populations affectées, et la reconnaissance des droits
internationalement garantis des populations indigènes ;
- l'accès à l'information dans un format, une langue et un calendrier
adéquats.

Note : Pour obtenir le texte de Plateforme et la liste des signataires
voir www.amisdelaterre.org ou www.grrr-now.org

Contact presse : Sebastien Godinot 01 48 51 18 92 / 06 68 98 83 41

Sébastien Godinot
Campagne institutions financières
finance@amisdelaterre.org
06.68.98.83.41
_____________________
LES AMIS DE LA TERRE
2 B rue Jules Ferry 93100 Montreuil France
Tél direct : +33 (0)1 48 51 18 92
Fax : +33 (0)1 48 51 33 23
www.amisdelaterre.org

01.12.04 : Greece: Acheloos diversion hits new court snag

Greece’s most environmentally controversial major public works project has
run into a new, and possibly crucial, court block, according to sources
quoted yesterday.

The plan to divert the waters of the Acheloos River in western Greece, the
country’s second-longest, to the heavily farmed plain of Thessaly was
launched in the 1980s during Andreas Papandreou’s PASOK administration. But
it encountered strong opposition, both from groups concerned about the
project’s repercussions on the environment and the fact that several
important historic buildings would be submerged, as well as from local
authorities in western Greece who were horrified at the prospect of having
the river’s waters siphoned off elsewhere.

Court sources were quoted yesterday as saying that the Council of State,
Greece’s highest administrative court, has rejected the latest bid to get
the project unstuck from a legal mire that had kept it bogged down for years.

The court is understood to have ruled against the project on the grounds
that the Public Works Ministry pressed ahead again with the diversion in
2003 without first studying its potential repercussions on Greece’s overall
water resources management system. As a result, serious questions emerge as
to the project’s viability.

Although first floated as an idea in 1925, the attempt to reroute the
river’s waters to Thessaly only took off in the early 1990s. The idea is to
divert some 600 million cubic meters of water a year to the increasingly
water-hungry plain. Since then, extensive work, worth nearly 300 million
euros, has been carried out, but completion still appears a distant ­ if at
all realistic ­ prospect. The court’s decision is expected to be officially
announced within the next month.

source : KATHIMERINI Newspaper , English Edition
via European Water Management News

12.11.04 : EU: Inland navigation is important for economic growth in Europe

(EU Pressrelease) Inland navigation can play an important role in the
economic growth and social well-being of Europe and thus must be given a
more prominent role in the European traffic and transport policy. Those are
the conclusions offered to the European Commission and European Parliament
during the conference “The Power of Inland Navigation”, which was held on
10 – 12 November in The Hague/Scheveningen. In order to realise these
objectives, 19 measures were drawn up, which are directed not only at the
Commission and Parliament, but also the EU member states as well as trade
and industry. For example, the European Commission is requested to
integrate an action plan for inland navigation into the upcoming working
plan, while all parties are called on to provide for the quick
implementation of the framework directive for River Information Services (RIS).

Transport and shipping agents, (European) politicians, members of the
European Commission, staff members of international non-governmental
organisations and policy-makers from all over Europe met at the Kurhaus for
this conference, which was organised within the framework of the Dutch
presidency of the European Union.

Note for the press:
For more information you may contact Murco Mijnlieff, telephone number +31
(0)70-3517045
http://www.eu2004.nl//default.asp?CMS_ITEM=BBD713735C9A4B9293E2E63832A17A84X1X55925X8

20.11.04 : Croatia/Hungary: Common Interest to Save the Dráva River

The Dráva is at many sites the natural border between Hungary and Croatia.
But there are sections of it flowing trough only in one country. In the
last time there were tensions between the two countries because of the
Croatian plan to build a water power plant at Novo Virje, on Croatian
territory, but on the common river. Now both ministers responsible for
water management of the neighbouring countries met on the 10th festive
meeting of the Hungarian-Croatian Water Management Comity.
<http://www.aquamedia.at/templates/index.cfm?id=14259>more information.
source: aquamedia http://www.aquamedia.at/templates/index.cfm?id=14259

05.11.04 : WWF urges China to adopt an integrated approach to river management

The WWF is urging China to adopt a Water Framework-style approach to river management, particularly for the Yangtze.


Attending the annual meeting of the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED), a WWF task force on integrated river basin management (IRBM) presented the findings of a year long study, noting management difficulties as a result of different government ministries and provinces working separately when it comes to river management.

The IRBM task force recommendations are designed to provide Chinas State Council with a road map for implementing IRBM through a staged, incremental process, said Dr Li Lifeng, WWF Chinas Freshwater and Marine Programme Officer. This is the approach that is greatly needed for managing the Yangtze river.

Intensive land reclamation has created agricultural and urban settlements on former floodplains and lakes along the course of the Yangtze, while thousands of kilometres of dykes have cut off the rivers links to lakes which used to form a complex wetland network, fulfilling important natural functions such as spawning and feeding for fish.

Not only does this approach threaten many unique species such as the Yangtze dolphin, the engineering has not prevented Yangtze flooding.

WWF is advocating a move away from engineering solutions to water management to a more comprehensive view  one that takes into account land use, the effects of climate change, protected areas, and upstream protection, said Claude Martin, Director General of WWF. So much of Chinas economy and the biodiversity that it depends on is related to the way water is managed.

CCICED was established in 1992 and is currently chaired by Vice Premier Zeng Peiyan.

 

04.11.04 : Danube reserve director under attack : BEHIND THE ELECTION FUZZ IN UKRAINE MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT TAKES REVENGE ON DANUBE BIOSPHERE RESERVE (SEU Newx)

On November 2 Danube Transport Prosecutors office raided the Danube
biosphere reserve office.

At noon 5 policemen heaeded by the Danube Transport Prosecutors office
represntative S.Kouznetsov arrived at Danube reserve office. They
showed a document about bringing a case against Danube reserve staff.
The accusations are misuse of budget funds and abuse of power.(The
first question that comes to mind - what the TRANSPORT Prosecutor's
office has to do with that?)
After that they took away all documents they could find - not only
accounting, but also all incoming and outcoming letters, agreements
and papers of the previous revisions. There were also attempts to
take away computers.

This raid was taken after dozens of revisions of different level.It is
well known that the true cause of such revision activities is position
of Alexander Volshkevich, reserve director. He keeps defending his
reserve from canal construction impact.

Currently Ukrainian authorities are pretending to listen to EU demands
on canal environmental assessment. However, true situation is quite
different - construction goes on. Reserve Director tells the truth
and demands true monitorng and true assesment of the construction. He
has recieved multiple threats, and this raid is aimed to get rid off
him.

International Socio-ecological Union, Ukrainian Coalition for Wild
Nature condemn this abuse of law. The warn Ukrainian authorities that
international community will be aware of the case. Attack on Danube
reserve Director will not solve the canal problem. ISEU and UCWN call
on international community to support Alexander Voloshkevich.

More information
Olga Zakharova seupress@seu.ru
Sergey Shaparenko pecheneg@ic.kharkov.ua
Vladimir Boreyko kekz@carrier.kiev.ua

 

29.10.04 : Ribble river basin project endorsed as leader in Europe

The River Ribble Pilot project has been endorsed as a leader in Europe
during a conference aimed at improving water management. The river is being
used as a pilot in river basin planning in order to prepare for the Water
Framework Directive.

Delegates to the conference, The Ripple Effect, were given a tour of the
Ribble Valley, encompassing the urban centres of Burnley and Blackburn as
well as the agricultural areas around Pendle, to get a feel for the
challenges facing the basin.

The Ribble was specifically chosen because of its diverse surroundings and
formed the main focus for the conference.

Rob Oates, UK Natural Rivers Programme Co-ordinator for WWF, one of the
conference's organisers said: "The conference demonstrated international
best practice examples of public participation in the development of river
basin plans. WWF believes that the Ribble experience will be a catalyst to
encourage public participation across the UK as the implementation of the
WFD continues."

Across Europe 15 river catchments have been chosen as pilots for the new
legislation to ensure the consistency, coherence and harmonisation of
national and European guidance. The Ribble and West Lancashire area is the
chosen site in the UK.

The Ribble Pilot will test current European guidance on public
participation and river basin planning. The tests will finish this summer,
when the Agency reports back to the European Commission. The Environment
Agency will also be testing its own guidance in the Ribble area before
implementation across England and Wales. These tests will be ongoing over
the next few years.

Finally, the work being done in the Ribble area will go towards a
'prototype' River basin management plan for the Ribble in 2007, which will
contribute to the North West's River Basin District Management Plan.

Other projects under the spotlight at the conference included the Danube
River basin, the Spanish Jucar pilot, the Grand River in Canada and the
South African Mondi Wetlands Project.

The conference culminated in a keynote address on the importance of public
participation for the WFD by Helmut Bloech, Head of the Water Protection
Sector for the European Commission. He hailed the Ribble as the leading
project in Europe.

By David Hopkins
Source: edie
newsroom http://www.edie.net/news/news_story.asp?id=9101&channel=4

 

12.10.04 : World Bank approves India dam against wishes of local people
(Press Release, International Rivers Network, Berkeley California)

On October 12, the World Bank's executive board approved a $45 million loan from their private sector arm, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), for a controversial hydropower project in the Indian Himalayas. The loan was approved despite the launching of an investigation into the project by the IFC's ombudsman. Local people and Indian non-governmental organizations had called for the project to be delayed until numerous grievances and irregularities are resolved.
"We are afraid that with the dam in place, we will not have enough drinking water and that there will be too little water left for our fields. We fear that the project could even destroy our livelihoods," says Sundar Mahant, from Jagatsukh village, downstream of the proposed dam.
The 192 megawatt Allain Duhangan hydropower project is being built across two tributaries of the Beas River in the mountain state of Himachal Pradesh.
The Jagatsukh villagers filed a formal complaint with the IFC's independent Compliance Advisory Ombudsman (CAO) in September. They charged that the project's environmental assessment was flawed and incomplete and that necessary consultations with project-affected people had not been held. Their complaint also states that Jagatsukh has not given the "No Objection Certificate" to the project required under state law.
On October 5, villagers from Jagatsukh wrote to World Bank President James Wolfensohn urging him to delay the decision on Allain Duhangan until the CAO has investigated their complaint. Two days prior to loan approval, the CAO decided that the villagers’ complaint warranted an independent assessment of the project.
An Indian consultant hired by the IFC gave numerous recommendations on measures needed if the project were to meet IFC standards and local laws. These recommendations have not been complied with.
Himanshu Thakker, an analyst with the Delhi-based South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People, has shown that the dam's power will not be required for up to 20 years due to a spate of recent investments in hydropower for India's northern grid. Thakker also shows that planners have consistently exaggerated India's future power needs.
This is the first large dam project in India to be approved by the World Bank since 1989. It comes against a background of a strong push by the World Bank to increase its lending for "high-risk/high-reward" infrastructure projects and to weaken its social and environmental guidelines.
"The new infrastructure approach of the World Bank will indeed be "high risk" - but low reward - if it means pushing unnecessary projects with shoddy environmental assessments and without addressing the concerns of local communities," says Ann Kathrin Schneider, South Asia campaigner for International Rivers Network.
"The Bank should at least have delayed this project until the CAO's investigation was complete and the local community concerns resolved. Now the loan is approved we fear that the CAO's recommendations will be ignored by project officials."
For further information:
* Peter Bosshard, IRN, peter@irn.org, tel: + 1 510 848 1155
* Ann Kathrin Schneider, IRN, akschneider@irn.org, tel: + 1 510 848 1155
* www.irn.org
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