Water Gods: The Inside Story of a World Bank Project in Nepal

Twenty-two-year-old Anna Paskal joins a trek into Nepal’s Arun Valley, site of a proposed two billion dollar World Bank-funded dam. She is our guide to both the trip, and the controversy surrounding the project. We accompany her, a documentary film crew, interpreters, sherpas, and internationally respected Cree and Indian activists, as they hike into the mountains to meet the Rai, Tharu, and Tamang villagers affected by the project. Anna conveys the near circus atmosphere of the trek, the multiple agendas of the participants, and the startling reactions of the villagers. Drawing on taped interviews, official and leaked documents, field notes, and her own journals, Anna provides this unique, behind-the-scenes look at the World Bank, international development, and foreign aid issues erupting onto the world stage today.

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