Your trusted source

March 14 is the International Day of Action for Rivers and Against Dams. Every year, thousands of people around the world lift their voices to celebrate the world’s rivers and those who struggle to protect them. 

The International Day of Action for Rivers was inspired and mandated by the participants of the First International Meeting of People Affected by Dams that took place in March, 1997 in Curitiba, Brazil. Representatives from twenty countries including Taiwan, Brazil, Chile, Lesotho, Argentina, Thailand, Russia, France, Switzerland, and the United States decided that the International Day of Action would fall on 14 March, Brazil's Day of Action Against Large Dams. The idea for the First International Meeting of People Affected by Dams originated during an annual meeting of Brazil's Movement of People Affected by Large Dams (MAB).

According to the European Water Movement, the International Day of Action for Rivers is a day to celebrate victories such as dam removal and river restoration.

It is a day to take to the streets, demonstrate and demand improvements in the policies and practices of decision makers. It is a day to educate one another about the threats facing our rivers, and learn about better water and energy solutions.

Above all, it is a day to unite – by acting together, we demonstrate that these issues are not merely local, but global in scope.