November 29, 2012
Pedro Arrojo was awarded the Goldman Prize in 2003 for his oppositions to Spain’s 1995 National Hydrological Plan (NHP), which called for 120 new dams that would have devastated countless natural areas and fishing communities along the Ebro River.
Today, Arrojo is the director of Water, Rivers and People, a collaborative international exhibition that aims to show the human side of water conflicts through breathtaking photography and personal interviews with victims. Goldman Prize nominating partner, International Rivers, is a collaborating partner on the project.
The exhibit focuses on many conflict areas including: dams and forced displacements; privation and access to clean water as a human right; and ecosystem degradation and unnatural disasters.
On the ‘Water, Rivers and People’ website, Arrojo describes his work:
“We are facing a hydrological holocaust, in which the victims are invisible, distant and faceless. Our consciences easily forget them.
In the Water, Rivers and People exhibition, we decided to give a voice to these people, who are simultaneously both victims and protagonists for a more just, dignified, and sustainable world. We aim to show the human side of water conflicts, giving those who suffer and struggle the most the opportunity to express themselves.
Perhaps they do not have all the answers to these problems, but there is no doubt that they are suffering on the front lines. They deserve to be heard and their stories taken into consideration.”
