International Finance and the Amazon Program, a project of Amazon Watch, monitors and works to influence extractive industry and infrastructure projects financed by international financial institutions and other public and private banks. This renewal grant will support Amazon Watch to strengthen the capacity of constituencies in Amazon countries, particularly environmental and indigenous organizations, to influence and hold accountable international financial decisionmakers for the environmental and social impacts of energy and infrastructure projects. The grant will also support monitoring of emblematic highway, waterway, and hydroelectric dam projects in the Amazon region.

This general purposes renewal grant to International Rivers will support its continued efforts to protect rivers, assist communities impacted by large dam projects, and encourage the development of alternative technologies for meeting community water and energy needs. To achieve these goals, International Rivers will undertake research, education, and advocacy efforts in collaboration with its global network of local communities, nongovernmental organizations, and other partners. The objectives for the grant period will be to uphold strong international social and environmental standards at international financial institutions; protect critical river systems that are being targeted for large-scale river infrastructure development; and strengthen the capacity of local organizations to defend their rivers and participate in discussions on climate change and water and energy infrastructure.

International financial institutions, both public and private, play a key role in financing energy and infrastructure projects around the world that will have important impacts on the environment. With this grant, Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide will continue to provide legal, scientific, technical, and organizational support to its network of local leaders, who are monitoring and analyzing energy and infrastructure investments and working to ensure that impacts to communities and the environment are considered in adopting and reforming the policies that regulate international carbon finance. Support will also enable the grantee to convene environmental leaders from around the world for the 2010 and 2011 Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide annual meetings.