We, the undersigned, note that climate change-related impacts have a range of implications, both direct and indirect, for the effective enjoyment of human rights, and recognize that while these implications affect individuals and communities around the world, the effects of climate change will be felt most acutely by those segments of the population who are already in vulnerable situations owing to factors such as geography, poverty, gender, age, indigenous or minority status and disability.
The Movement 10 of April M10 makes public its rejection to the last activities taking place as the de facto entrance of machinery and excavators to the riverbed of our Tabasará River which we defend against these non consulted projects with the community, specifically the Hydroelectric Project Barro Blanco whose promoter is Generadores del Istmo S.A. GENISA.
The Alliance for Conservation and Development (ACD) ratifies its position expressed in the commentaries that we sent last year in relation to the validation of the Barro Blanco project on the part of AENOR, and as much laments that the promoter of the project as the Government of Panama would seem to be abusing the validation system of the CDM when retiring and to return to present a project that already had been put previously under a validation process. This practice seems irregular and would seem to us to indicate an excessive interest of the promoter to capitalize over what should be instead an international mechanism for the reduction of greenhouse gas emmissions. Also, we lamented the interest of the European Investment Bank (EIB) to finance a project that seemed not to satisfy the additionality requirement and that in addition, has been implied in the violation of human rights of the Ngöbe population and peasants of the Republic of Panama.
The communities next to the Tabasará river as much as those of Bellavista, Veladero and Cerro Viejo and in the district of Tolé (in the Province of Chiriquí), as those of Bakama in the district of Müna (in the indigenous region of Ngöbe Buglé) live intimately interrelated with Rio Tabasará from time immemorial of the colony.
The first climate talks of 2015 concluded today in Geneva. Countries delivered a negotiation text that will form the basis for discussions at the next session in Bonn in June on the road to a Paris climate treaty later in the year. Environmental groups applauded the launch of the Geneva Pledge, an initiative to better understand the connection between human rights and climate change supported by 15 countries with more countries expected to join.
November 7, 2008
We consider that the Barro Blanco Hydrolectric Project should not be validated as a Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) project; because this hydroelectric project completely fails to fulfill the condition of additionality required by the CDM; the Panamanian Designated National Authority (DNA), the National Environmental Authority (ANAM), is marred with conflicts of interests; and the Government of Panama has systematically violated the human rights of the Ngobe indigenous peoples and peasant communities that will be directly affected and that have opposed to the construction of this project since 1999.
PANAMA CITY, Panama and GENEVA, Switzerland In a landmark decision, Panama’s National Environmental Authority (ANAM) temporarily suspended the construction of the Barro Blanco hydroelectric dam yesterday over non-compliance with its Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). The dam was approved by the UN Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) despite risks of flooding to the territory of the indigenous Ngäbe Bugle communities.
In less than one year, the world’s countries are expected to flesh out an agreement to address climate change and advert dangerous global warming. UN negotiators will meet for the first time in 2015 in Geneva with the goal to deliver a final negotiating text to form the basis for such a deal. This first session will also be significant because it will take place in the premises of the UN’s human rights council where UN delegates will have to find a solution to protect the world’s most vulnerable citizens from climate change while insuring their human rights.
On 10 December 2014, as part of the COP20 in Lima, Carbon Market Watch organised a side event jointly with Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL), the Interamerican Association for Environmental Defense (AIDA), and the Peoples Council of Tezulutlán, Guatemala.
The event “Pitfalls Of Hydropower Project To Meet Climate And Sustainability Objectives”, held at the COP20 Mountains and Water Pavilion, gave participants the opportunity to listen to first hand experiences of affected communities in Guatemala, Panama and Colombia.
