River biodiversity protection campaign -Our Rivers, Our Life

"Our River, Our Life-OROL" campaign is run by the Southeast Asia Regional Working Group. This regional campaign comprised of comprised of 7 country members (Burma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia and Philippines). OROL campaign focuses on the protection of river biodiversity with the active participation of children and youth in Southeast Asia region where many local and indigenous communities depend on rivers for their livelihoods.

These  communities have a right to enjoy a safe and healthy environment, however many rivers systems are under threat from large scale mining, hydro power development, mono-plantations, water diversion projects and industrial and household waste. It is becoming increasingly recognized that indigenous peoples are among the first to face the direct consequences of threatened ecosystems, due to their dependence upon, and close relationship, with the environment and its resources. The poor, particularly children and young people are vulnerable, their ecological child rights are at risk from these impacts, as many live in naturally hazard prone areas and are dependent on natural resources for their livelihoods.

OROL campaign covers 11 rivers in 7 countries. These rivers are

• the Salween River in Burma
• the Kok, Ing, Nan and Ping River in Thailand
• the Rio Grande de Mindanao and Agusan Rivers in the Philippines
• the Cisadane River in Indonesia
• the Xedone and Xelanong River in Laos, and
• the Mekong which is an international water way shared between China, Burma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.

Each river has its own set of circumstances and context, which the country partners must address. The “Our Rivers, Our Life” campaign is carried out in different ways by each of the following country partners.

• Burma- Karen Environmental and Social Action Network (KESAN)
• Cambodia-Santi Sena
• Indonesia-The Indonesian Institute for Forest and Environment (RMI)
• Laos-Our Village Association
• Philippines- KALITAWHAN
• Thailand-Association for Community Ecology Development (ACED)
• Vietnam-Agricultural Extension Centre of HCM city

KESAN serves as secretariat for the Southeast Asia-wide “Our Rivers, Our Life” OROL campaign to raise and highlight the negative impacts of large-scale dams on the Salween at the national and regional level. The Salween River, currently South East Asia’s longest undammed river, also faces the issues arising from big dams being planned along an international river.  Over 10 million people from at least 13 different ethnic groups rely on the rich natural resources of the river for their livelihoods. In Burma, there are five proposed dams on the Salween River, whilst China plans to build 13 cascade dams on the portion of the Salween flowing through China.

Along with the anti-dam activities and in coordination with country partners, KESAN was able to raise and highlight the negative impacts of large-scale dams on the Salween at the national and regional level. Together with other member countries that are also facing similar problems with respect to large-scale dam operations, a regional campaign such as OROL provides KESAN with the opportunity to increase and strengthen our advocacy campaign for river protection to the national, regional and international level.