AIDA Advises Against the Removal of Water

This Monday, the Association for the Protection of the Environment (AIDA) asked the Supreme Court of Panama to override a resolution that would allow the use of the 90% of river water in hydroelectric projects.

AIDA expressed that the ecological flow rate, the minimum flow of water to a river or another channel one must have to maintain the flora and fauna, would not be obtained by allowing up to 90% of the water in rivers, lakes and other natural sources is used in large projects such as hydroelectric dams. Thus with this plan in place the landscape would be lost and and the presence of contaminants in the natural habitat would increase.

The current resolution "violates principles and international obligations as it does not protect the biodiversity of ecosystems and their rational use", added AIDA. In addition, it violates human rights such as access to water, a healthy environment, and to housing, lacking mechanisms for the participation of affected communities, warned AIDA.