South Sulawesi Governor Nurdin Abdullah blames a recent dam failure and fatal floods on land conversion for farming and mining, and vows to tighten regulations.
The environmental and social costs of hydroelectric mega-dams have been grossly underestimated, and will continue to grow further as climate change escalates, a new report finds.
The biggest infrastructure project of the 21st century promises economic prosperity, but only if host nations ensure that development does not destroy the natural environment or uproot communities. What can be done?
Michael Boyland and Heidi Tuhkanen –
Those in power must give stronger voices to marginalised communities and protection to natural flood defences, say experts from the Stockholm Environment Institute.
Harini Nagendra –
India's worst flood in recent times is a clear warning about the dangers of rampant and thoughtless human development, writes Azim Premji University's Harini Nagendra. How are communities overcoming mistakes made in development and preparing for a future of extreme weather?
The tragedy in Laos has trained the spotlight on the unceasing development taking place along the banks of the Mekong River and the real winners and losers of Southeast Asia's plans.
The countries of the Mekong Basin need to stop blaming each other for water woes and get on with creating a sustainable and coordinated plan for the region, say National University of Singapore's Asit K. Biswas and Cecilia Tortajada.
The China-Pakistan plan to build five dams in a row on the Indus will stop the flow of silt to rejuvenate farms downstream, and will reduce water flow in the nine dry months of the year, says The Third Pole South Asia director Joydeep Gupta.
Medilyn Manibo –
A group of women worldwide are taking action to improve their lives by helping address climate change issues, such as the '1 Million Women' movement in Australia. Watch this video.
Global use of hydropower increased more than 5 per cent between 2009 and 2010, according to new research published by the Worldwatch Institute for its Vital Signs Online publication. Hydropower ...
