Global Speak Out exposes river devastation and uplifts indigenous resistance

By Jag Jivan   

On the occasion of the International Day of Action for Rivers, celebrated on March 14, a collective cry for justice echoed across continents through the “Global Speak Out for Rivers and River Defenders.” Held on March 24, 2025, this transnational gathering spotlighted the threats rivers face and amplified the resistance of Indigenous communities safeguarding them.

The Speak Out brought together 58 participants from eight countries in Asia, the Pacific, and Africa. It was organized by grassroots networks including the Indigenous People’s Movement for Self-Determination and Liberation (IPMSDL), Asia Pacific Research Network (APRN), International Rivers, and others. “This is only the beginning. We are committed to sustaining and strengthening this initiative through continued dialogues and future Speak Outs,” the organizers have been quoted as stating in a comprehensive report based on the Speak Out.

From India, concerns were raised over the Ken-Betwa River Linking Project, which aims to connect the Ken River in Madhya Pradesh with the Betwa River in Uttar Pradesh. The project, inaugurated in December 2024, “has already displaced many villages and threatens more, including submerging part of the Panna Tiger Reserve.” Indigenous communities have protested the displacement and ecological destruction, but the government continues to push ahead, “citing overall benefits” while offering “limited compensation.”

In Indonesia, palm oil expansion is a major concern. “Over 4,000 families have been affected by land and water grabbing, with the government backing these corporate plantations,” said Fatrisia Ain from Sulawesi. “Water, vital for agriculture, is now commodified and monopolized, forcing communities to buy what was once freely available.”

Japan’s Ryukyu Islands face pollution from decades of militarization. “Over 70% of U.S. military bases in Japan remain in Ryukyu,” said Rina Matayoshi, referring to land occupied by foreign forces. A 2020 leak of toxic PFAS chemicals affected around 450,000 people, yet “the U.S. and Japanese governments continue to push for a new military base in Oura Bay, ignoring a 2019 referendum.”

In the Philippines, Indigenous Tumanduk and Dumagat peoples are resisting mega dams. Berna Castor and John Ian Alenciaga shared how “the dam is promoted as a solution for rice production and self-sufficiency,” but it “threatens forced displacement, flooding, and the destruction of sacred and agricultural lands.” In December 2020, “nine Tumanduk leaders were killed and sixteen others arrested during the peak of resistance.” Kakay Tolentino, a Dumagat, described how the proposed Kaliwa Dam “threatens their forests, homes, and traditional way of life,” with no proper consultation.

Pakistan’s Indus River system has been transformed by industrial and agrarian projects backed by institutions like the ADB and World Bank. Fazal Rab Lund, in a piece read by Zain Moulvi, warned that such projects “have devastated the river and surrounding lands, ignoring local knowledge and reverence for the river as a living being.” He rejected “technocratic ‘green infrastructure’ solutions” and called for “community-led river protection.”

Gill Hale Boehringer from Australia described the drying of the Darling River, where “Indigenous People make up 70% of those dependent on the river, which is now dry, polluted, and unsafe due to cotton industry over-extraction and pesticide discharge.” He said residents now rely on bottled water as river water “causes skin issues and is unsafe for cooking or washing food.”

From Myanmar, the Karen people’s struggle against hydropower dams on the Salween River was highlighted. These projects, “built without Free, Prior, and Informed Consent,” are “accompanied by heightened militarization,” with land grabs, forced displacement, and repression. “For them, the defense of their rivers is a defense of life, land, and sovereignty.”

In Kenya, Daniel Manyansi spoke about evictions funded by the World Bank that displaced over 200,000 people living near rivers in Nairobi. These demolitions, supposedly for flood mitigation, “extended beyond the stated boundary,” sparking protests. Irene Asuwa emphasized that land use conversions and water privatization are “displacing local communities and restricting access to natural resources through militarized enforcement.”

Ibiso Ikiroma-Owiye from Nigeria described the aftermath of a 2024 oil spill by Shell in Ogale, which led to “wildfires, displacement, water contamination, health issues, and the loss of livelihoods.” Despite existing regulations, “they are poorly enforced, with some community leaders complicit due to personal gain.” Stella Amanie added that microplastic pollution and petrochemical runoff are threatening both aquatic ecosystems and public health.

The Speak Out concluded with a strong call for unity and grassroots-led action. “At the heart of this global struggle is the recognition that rivers are not commodities—they are living ecosystems essential to cultural survival, ecological health, and human rights.” The organizers called for “exposing and confronting the role of imperialist exploitation—through mega dams, energy projects, and extractivist investments,” and vowed to continue building a movement “to defend our rivers.”