19.12.04 : Judge Reverses
Decision, Stops Deforestation for Brazilian Dam (Pressrelease
IRN)
December 19, 2004
In a setback for a consortium led by U.S.-based aluminum giant
Alcoa, on December 16th a Brazilian judge reversed his earlier
decision, and upheld a restraining order prohibiting deforestation
for Barra Grande dam. In his decision, Federal District Judge
Vladimir Passos de Freitas cited "serious accusations that in
the Environmental Impact Study (EIS)...facts of extreme relevance
were omitted�such as the existence of more than 2,000 hectares
of primary Atlantic Coast forest."
Dam-affected communities and environmentalists applauded the judge's
decision, which suspends the completion of the 180-metre-high
Barra Grande, which has an installed capacity of 690 MW of electricity.
The $450 million hydroelectric dam project is already 90% built.
Erico da Fonseca, a regional coordinator of Brazil's Movement
of Dam-Affected People (MAB), vowed to continue the movement's
fight on behalf of the 2,000 families who have lost their lands
to the project. MAB played a crucial role in halting the project
by mobilizing hundreds of farmers from the region to blockade
logging crews trying to enter the dam site, while environmental
attorneys filed lawsuits to save the forests.
Glenn Switkes of International Rivers Network says, "The Barra
Grande case will increase the public scrutiny of the licensing
process for large dams in Brazil, at a time when more dams are
being proposed for fast-tracked processes, and there is pressure
from the government and the dam building industry for projects
to be approved without adequate consideration of their social
and environmental impacts. Against great odds, MAB and their supporters
have demonstrated the strength of their convictions, and of effectively
working together."
According to Joao de Deus Medeiros, of the Santa Catarina Federation
of Ecological Groups, environmentalists are calling for a new
review of the project's EIS. He did not rule out a discussion
with the project consortium regarding changes in the eventual
operation of Barra Grande which would save the primary araucaria
forests, but permit the dam to generate electricity. "If it were
possible to reduce the size of the reservoir so less of the forests
would be flooded, we could discuss this. But if not, there's nothing
to talk about - we will continue our fight in the courts so that
the construction license is cancelled, the dam is demolished,
and the consortium is obliged to restore the forest it has impacted."
Judge Freitas has ordered all interested parties, including the
federal environmental licensing authority, IBAMA, to come together
next week to try to work out a mutually-agreeable solution to
the stalemate.
For more information:
Glenn Switkes, International Rivers Network, +55.11.3666.5853,
glenns@superig.com.br , http://www.irn.org/
Erico de Fonseca, Movement of Dam-Affected People, +55.61.242.8535
or +55.54.524.1857,
mab@mabnacional.org.br, http://www.mabnacional.org.br
Zuleica Nycz, Atlantic Coast Forest NGO Network, +55.41.3014.8096
or +55.41.3014.9866,
zu.terra@terra.com.br, http://www.rma.org.br/
17.12.04 : La ville de
Saragosse �lue pour h�berger la prochaine Exposition Universelle
Avec le th�me �Eau et d�veloppement durable�,
la ville de Saragosse (Espagne) � �t� �lue par les d�l�gu�s attach�s
au Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) pour organiser la
prochaine Exposition Universelle th�matique en 2008. Celle-ci
co�ncidera avec la D�cennie internationale d'action �l'eau, source
de vie� (2005-2015). Les autres villes candidates �taient les
villes de Trieste (Italie), avec le th�me �la mobilit� de la connaissance�,
et Thessalonique (Gr�ce) avec le th�me �Terre m�re�. L��lection
s�est d�roul� le 16 d�cembre 2004 � Paris. Saragosse a gagn� l��lection
avec 57 voix.
Visitez le site Internet officiel de l�Expo2008 :
http://www.zaragozaexpo2008.es/FR/index.asp
16.12.04 : Ank�ndigung:
13. Intl. Donaukongresses in Deggendorf (Deutschland) am 18./19.
Dezember 2004
Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren, liebe Freundinnen
und Freunde,
am 18. und 19. Dezember 2004 veranstaltet der
Bund Naturschutz in Bayern mit Unterst�tzung der B�rgeraktion
"Rettet die Donau e.V." zum 13. Mal den Internationalen Donaukongress
in Deggendorf.
In diesem Jahr r�cken wir die Bedeutung und Gef�hrdung
der Donau in Europa in den Vordergrund. Wissenschaftler aus Deutschland
und �sterreich werden am Samstag, 18. Dezember, �ber Pl�ne zum
Flussausbau, Naturschutzkonzepte und Projekte zum Hochwasserschutz
berichten und sich der Diskussion stellen. Besonders freuen wir
uns auch auf Prof. Dr. Walter H�dl, Zoologieprofessor der Universit�t
Wien, der uns im Abendprogramm in das Reich der Urzeitkrebse und
der Schlammlingsfluren entf�hren und �ber die March-Auen im Laufe
der Jahreszeiten berichten wird.
Bei der traditionellen Podiumsdiskussion am Sonntag,
19. Dezember, werden Mitglieder des Europ�ischen Parlaments aus
�sterreich und Deutschland mit Prof. Dr. Hubert Weiger �ber die
Donau als Naturraum und Verkehrsweg in Europa diskutieren. Dabei
wird der Widerspruch zwischen den europaweiten Vorgaben des "Netz
des Lebens" der NATURA 2000-Gebiete und der "Transeurop�ischen
(Verkehrs-)Netze" eingehend dargestellt.
Ich m�chte Sie/Euch zu diesem Kongress sehr herzlich
einladen.
Die weiteren Einzelheiten bitte ich dem
Tagungsprogramm zu entnehmen.
Mit freundlichen Gr��en ,
Richard Mergner Landesbeauftragter
Bund Naturschutz in Bayern e.V. Landesfachgesch�ftsstelle
Bauernfeindstra�e 23
90471 N�rnberg
Tel. 0911/81 87 8-23 Fax 0911/86 95 68
e-mail : monika.frank@bund-naturschutz.de
www.bund-naturschutz.de
15.12.04 : Russian flood
damages : USD 1.4 bln a year say experts
Experts evaluate annual Russian inundation damages at forty billion
roubles, slightly above USD 1.4 billion, Rustem Khamitov, Federal
Water Resource Agency chief, said to the media. Yearly estimations
vary from thirty to a hundred billion roubles, he added. Mr. Khamitov
finds the latter figure bloated-damages never get over a forty
billion mark, he holds.
Source: RIA Novosti via European Water Management
News
more infos : http://en.rian.ru/rian/index.cfm?prd_id=160&msg_id=5198654&startrow=1&date=2004-12-10&do_alert=0
14.12.04 : Danube / UNEP
: new environmental assessment launched at Danube ministerial
meeting
Almost five years after a cyanide spill from a gold mine in northern
Romania travelled down the Tisza river in Hungary, leaving a trail
of ecological destruction in its wake, local communities in the
region remain at risk from floods and industrial pollution. Despite
the lessons learned from the Baia Mare catastrophe in January
2000, the Tisza river basin, its people and nature remain threatened
by environmental insecurity, in particular from floods and accidental
pollution risks, according to a new report from the United Nations
Environment Programme.
Read more...http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=417&ArticleID=4680&l=en
source: European Water Management News
26.11.04 : Spanish supreme
court annuls water transfer (Environment Daily)
Spain's supreme court has annulled the country's last ongoing
interregional water transfer project, confirming a radical shift
in water policy since a change of government this spring (ED 17/05/04
)
more
news , read
more
The ruling blocks the €192m Jucar-Vinalopó scheme
to transfer 300 cubic hectometres of water per year for irrigation
from Castilla-La Mancha to Valencia. It limits the state's power
to transfer water resources between regions in line with principles
contained in the EU water framework directive. Valencia's government
and horticultural associations pledged to appeal against the judgement.
Spanish supreme court
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