RIVERS AT RISK

The report highlights 10 specific rivers globally that are threatened by hydropower development, arguing that such projects are based on outdated 20th-century thinking. It asserts that the 'renewable revolution'—specifically the falling costs of solar and wind power—allows the world to meet climate and energy goals without damming remaining free-flowing rivers. The document advocates for a 'LowCx3' (low-cost, low-carbon, low-conflict) approach to energy grids and calls for the protection and restoration of river systems to maintain biodiversity and climate resilience.

• Freshwater biodiversity has experienced a severe decline, with species populations falling by an average of 84 per cent over the last 50 years. Currently, only one-third of the world's long rivers (those exceeding 1,000 km) remain free-flowing.
• There are more than 3,700 large new hydropower dams planned or under construction. If these projects proceed, they could fragment over 260,000 km of free-flowing rivers, yet they would contribute less than 2 per cent of the renewable energy required by 2050 to limit global warming to 1.5°C.
• The report proposes a 'LowCx3' approach to power grids, defined as being low-cost, low-carbon, and low-conflict with communities and rivers. This strategy could avoid up to 90 per cent of potential river fragmentation caused by hydropower.
• In the Mekong basin, planned dams in Laos threaten the world's largest freshwater fishery and the stability of the Mekong delta. Sediment supply could be reduced to 10 per cent of natural levels, potentially causing half of the delta to disappear by the end of the century due to sea level rise and erosion.
• Proposed hydropower projects on the Tapajós River in Brazil are criticized for using outdated forecasts and potentially generating greenhouse gas emissions comparable to a natural gas plant, with the Cachoeira do Caí dam potentially exceeding the emissions of a coal-fired power station.
• In Europe, the report argues that new hydropower is often unnecessary and only viable due to subsidies. It highlights the Vjosa in Albania as the last wild river system in Europe (outside Russia) and calls for its transformation into a National Park to prevent fragmentation.
• The report identifies several other high-risk projects: the Myitsone dam on the Irrawaddy in Myanmar, which would trap essential sediment; dams on the Mara River in Kenya and Tanzania, threatening the wildebeest migration; and the Mucundi dam in Angola, which threatens the Okavango Delta World Heritage site.

APA

WWF International (2021). RIVERS AT RISK. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/358/5twtqkiw2t_10_rivers_at_risk__final_.pdf

Chicago

WWF International. RIVERS AT RISK. 2021. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/358/5twtqkiw2t_10_rivers_at_risk__final_.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=WWF International |title=RIVERS AT RISK |date=2021 |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/358/5twtqkiw2t_10_rivers_at_risk__final_.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wwfinternational2021rivers, author = {{WWF International}}, title = {{RIVERS AT RISK}}, institution = {WWF International}, year = {2021}, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/358/5twtqkiw2t_10_rivers_at_risk__final_.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }