A Joint Statement by Civil Society Organizations on occasion of the 2019 World Hydropower Congress in Paris, France

A joint statement by civil society organizations challenging the claims of the International Hydropower Association that large dams are 'clean and green' solutions for the Paris Climate Agreement and UN SDGs. The authors demand a redirection of funding from large-scale hydro to decentralized renewables and the legal protection of free-flowing rivers.

• The authors characterize the portrayal of large hydroelectric dams as 'clean and green' energy sources as a deception that ignores a history of environmental catastrophes, social harm, economic waste, and corruption.
• The statement calls for the removal of financial incentives for new hydroelectric projects—excluding micro-hydro—from climate change mechanisms such as Nationally Determined Contributions and the Green Climate Fund.
• The organizations advocate for a transition in investment priorities away from additional hydroelectric projects and toward energy efficiency, decentralized generation, and sustainable renewables including wind, solar, and biomass.
• The document demands the permanent legal protection of the world's remaining free-flowing rivers and the requirement of free, prior and informed consent from indigenous peoples and traditional communities before authorizing energy facilities on their territories.
• The authors recommend independent audits of controversial existing dam projects to mitigate impacts and provide reparations, suggesting decommissioning if such measures are inviable.

APA

rrotadmin (2019). A Joint Statement by Civil Society Organizations on occasion of the 2019 World Hydropower Congress in Paris, France. Recourse. https://re-course.org/newsupdates/how-dams-fail-to-deliver-the-paris-climate-agreement-and-un-sdgs/

Chicago

rrotadmin. A Joint Statement by Civil Society Organizations on occasion of the 2019 World Hydropower Congress in Paris, France. Recourse, 2019. https://re-course.org/newsupdates/how-dams-fail-to-deliver-the-paris-climate-agreement-and-un-sdgs/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=rrotadmin |title=A Joint Statement by Civil Society Organizations on occasion of the 2019 World Hydropower Congress in Paris, France |publisher=Recourse |date=16 May 2019 |url=https://re-course.org/newsupdates/how-dams-fail-to-deliver-the-paris-climate-agreement-and-un-sdgs/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{rrotadmin2019joint, author = {rrotadmin}, title = {{A Joint Statement by Civil Society Organizations on occasion of the 2019 World Hydropower Congress in Paris, France}}, publisher = {Recourse}, year = {2019}, month = may, url = {https://re-course.org/newsupdates/how-dams-fail-to-deliver-the-paris-climate-agreement-and-un-sdgs/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }