“Water for Life, not for Death!” is the cry as thousands of activists around the world speak out on March 14 for free–flowing rivers and the communities that depend on them. In 2000, nearly 70 actions took place in 26 countries to demand dam decommissioning, fight for reparations, stop dams, and promote sound river management.
From Australia to Uganda, groups worked to spread the word about the impacts of dams and the need for healthy rivers. This year marked the third anniversary of the event, which originated at the First International Meeting of People Affected by Dams held in Curitiba, Brazil in 1997.
A major focal point of this year’s actions was dam–affected people•s demand for reparations, which are measures taken to repair damages caused by existing dams. In Brazil, over 3,000 people occupied dam sites and launched protests across the country to demand reparations for people affected by dams. In the Philippines, activists and affected people organized widespread protests to call attention to the intensifying struggle against San Roque Dam on the Agno River.