Posted on 08 May 2014

A legal challenge has been launched in Australia to stop the dumping in the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) of three million cubic metres of material excavated for development of a megaport for coal exports. The North Queensland Conservation Council, supported by WWF, challenges the dumping which is also opposed by tourism operators: tourism in the GBR generates $5 billion annually.
A declaration opposing construction of the Xayaburi Dam in Laos on the main Mekong River has been issued by a consortium representing 39 NGOs and civil society groups including WWF. There are fears that the dam may threaten the huge Mekong fishing industry which supports 60 million people in the region and affect their food security.