And yet, only 21 rivers longer than 1,000 kilometers retain an unobstructed connection to the sea. One of their biggest threats is the development of hydropower, which could impact more than 300,000 kilometers of rivers by 2050. Despite the enormous diversity in size, scale and geography of roughly 3,700 new dams being proposed or built, a relatively small number of corporations are responsible for their construction. Thus the policies and practices of these companies have tremendous implications for rivers and human rights.
International Rivers has long been a leading advocate for dam builders to adopt and implement strong environmental and social standards. The four reports and resources listed below provide an overview, analysis and critique on the environmental and social policies of the largest hydropower corporations. This work is grounded in over a decade of experience, is evidence-based and descriptive of on-the-ground impacts. There are additional tools available on the International Rivers website.