As the World Bank returns to the big dam business with the inauguration of Laos’ largest hydropower project, many are concerned that the Bank-financed dams “will serve as a template for a big dam culture led by private sector investors with little interest in the environmental and social impact of these projects.”
On November 4, 2010 the World Bank’s Inspection Panel received a complaint from a Lebanese citizen representing himself and approximately 50 Beirut inhabitants who say that a World Bank water project will have negative impacts environmentally and economically. Management at the Bank has until December 13, 2010 to respond to the complaint.
Since the beginning of the 90’s there have been warnings on the potential impacts of the hydroelectric project on the rivers Paraguay and Parana and its surrounding areas.
Bolivian Deputy Minister of Environment Juan Pablo Ramos and Director Environment Luis Beltrán submitted irrevocable resignation from their posts on Friday of last week, after government officials tried to force them to sign an environmental permit for the construction of a highway in the Chapare region of Cochabamba.
In June 2010, the World Bank held its third set of public hearings with respect to the Red-Dead Sea conduit project. Friends of the Earth – Middle East attended the hearings and presented comments. This report comes from the FoEME website.
According to the World Bank, as part of the public consultation process under the Red Sea–Dead Sea Water Conveyance Study Program, the Beneficiary Parties (the Government of Israel, the Government of Jordan and the Palestinian Authority) plan to hold a series of meetings to update interested stakeholders on the progress under the Red Sea-Dead Sea Water Conveyance Study Program and seek their feedback.
CSO exchanges letters with WB & Egypt’s Min. of Water Resources re: controversial West Delta project
Habi Center for Environmental Rights continues to engage the World Bank and the Egyptian government on the West Delta project. Egyptian CSOs have been urging the Bank to consider an alternative irrigation project which would help poor farmers as well. In March 2010, Habi Center for Environmental Rights, an Egyptian civil society organization, sent two …
BIC Executive Director Chad Dobson signed the letter to IDB president Luis Alberto Moreno after the approval of the San Francisco-Mocoa Alternate Road Construction Project. The letter notes how constructive dialogue with civil society led to many improvements in the project and encourages some of these commitments to be formalized during the general capital increase.
Saturday the 22 of August in Villa Tunari, Cochabamba, an agreement between Bolivia and Brasil was finalized to build a highway between Cochabamba (Villa Tunari) and Beni (San Ignacio de Moxos). Highway to Beni: Villa Tunari – San Ignacio de Moxos
Bolivian President Evo Morales announced the implementation of several development projects in the Amazon department of Pando in hopes of making it a center of development in the country.