RAVE Patagonia 2010 – 4 Years Later

An article published by International Rivers in the March, 2014 issue, reports recent success for Chilean citizens in their effort to prevent mega-dam construction in Patagonia.  Significant pressure applied by local and international groups has swayed the Chilean government to reconsider approval for the HidroAysén dam project.  The original plans for the project included five dams being constructed between pristine rivers in and around the Baker and Pascua Rivers and running 1,500 miles of transmission lines through the middle of the country, culminating in a 2,750-megawatt hydropower facility benefiting the city of Santiago and state operated copper mines tied to the multinationals.

The RAVE (Rapid Assessment Visual Expedition) project sponsored by The Baum Foundation, organized by The Patagonia Foundation and International League of Conservation Photographers (iLCP) helped to document the pristine wilderness threatened by the dam construction and accompanied development.  The iLCP images–photographed by Daniel Beltrá, Jack Dakinga, Bridget Besaw and Filmmaker Edgar Boyles–were presented to the public at an Enel company shareholder meeting (2011), one of the major energy companies behind the HidroAysén dam project.

International Rivers reports that Endesa Chile, one of the major companies of HidroAysén and ultimately controlled by Enel, excluded the project from its list of active projects when reporting to its investors in January 2014.  While the final conclusion has yet to be determined, this was good news for countless groups and individuals committed to preserving the Patagonian wilderness.

To learn more about The Baum Foundation’s work in Patagonia, visit RAVE – Rapid Assessment Visual Expedition.

 

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