General Tag / No project reference
The EU Commission has now presented its 2030 biodiversity strategy within the Green Deal. It includes the target of restoring at least 25,000 kilometers of rivers. We welcome these guidelines; however, this only makes sense if the destruction of rivers is stopped at the same time.
The 2nd edition of the European Rivers Summit, held in Lisbon, has been postponed due to COVID19. SAVE THE NEW DATE: May 20-22, 2021. Join us and hundreds of activists and specialists to share knowledge, network and talk about rivers protection, one of the most endangered ecosystems in the World. To get all further updates on the European Rivers Summit (ERS) Lisbon 2020 go to riverssummit.org
While a COVID19-related curfew is in force in the province of Tyrol /Austria, the construction of the contested Tumpen-Habichen hydropower plant on the free-flowing Ötztaler Ache has been secretly started. Please sign the petition and participate in this email action to stop this madness!
Riverwatch CEO talks about the state of European rivers and warns of the impending damming of the river network in the Balkans. Austrian companies and banks are also involved in the expansion of dam projects in protected areas.
We at Riverwatch are fighting for the preservation of the last unimpaired rivers as well as for the restoration of those already canalized or dammed. Because rivers are so much more than water. Find out more at www.riverwatch.eu. Produced by Kristof Reuther
World Fish Migration Day 2020 is approaching, a one-day global celebration to improve the public's understanding of the importance of migratory fish and free-flowing rivers and how to reduce our impacts on them. On MAY 16th, thousands of organizations, schools, aquariums, zoos and communities organize events. Join in!
We at Riverwatch are fighting for the preservation of the last unimpaired rivers as well as for the restoration of those already canalized or dammed. Because rivers are so much more than water.
Produced by Kristof Reuther
#RiversUnite #DamsDivide #TheDamTruth #AllDamsAreDirty
The first pan-European inventory of existing and planned hydropower plants shows the immense pressure on rivers throughout the continent. In addition to the 21,387 existing hydropower plants, another 8,785 are planned, mainly in the Alps and the Balkans. Devastating impacts on biodiversity and society are to be expected.
From September 10th to 13th I visited Hasankeyf in Turkey and the Tigris for the very last time. I said my goodbyes to residents, the river, the landscape. One of the most significant regions of humanity will be submerged, in the reservoir of the Ilisu dam. Even today, two weeks later, I can barely bring myself to put this into writing. It is literally incomprehensible.
The Balkan region—richly diverse in cultures, languages and history—is home to the last wild rivers on the European continent. The region truly is the Blue Heart of Europe. However, a hydropower gold rush is putting these rivers at risk: Hydropower is the only “renewable” energy source sending species to extinction, displacing people globally, and contributing to climate change.
