Greater than 200 dams have been faraway from Europe’s rivers final yr - however some 150,000 obstacles nonetheless clog up the continent’s waterways.
A record-breaking 239 boundaries, dams and weirs have been eliminated throughout 17 nations in Europe in 2021.
Dam Removing Europe - a coalition of seven environmental organisations - welcomed the efforts as “key” to restoring threatened species on the continent.
Why are dams unhealthy for freshwater environments?
As issues stand, there are a couple of million boundaries on Europe’s waterways - roughly 0.7 boundaries for each kilometre of river. Not less than 150,000 of those are out of date, in response to the coalition.
Free-flowing rivers are important to biodiversity. Boundaries block fish migration routes, devastating breeding areas and river ecosystems.
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This has a knock on impact on the complete ecosystem. Fish transport vitamins farther than different aquatic animals, and are meals for animals like otters and birds. In addition they excrete vitamins that act as fertilizer for algae.
Migratory freshwater fish have declined by 93 per cent in Europe during the last 50 years.
Smashing up out of date river-barriers is the easiest way to assist shares recuperate, mentioned Herman Wanningen, director of the World Fish Migration Basis, one of many Dam Removing Europe organisations.
“Dam removing is essentially the most environment friendly software to revive free-flowing rivers filled with fish,” he mentioned.
“This software must be applied in all places in Europe, beginning with the outdated and out of date boundaries which might be out of use or haven't any financial operate anymore"
Restoring at the least 25,000 km of rivers to a free-flowing state is among the objectives of The European Union Biodiversity Technique for 2030.
“The removing of those obstacles [is] not solely mandatory for wildlife, but additionally for a more healthy way forward for our societies,” a Dam Removing Europe spokesperson mentioned.
Which nation eliminated essentially the most dams?
Dam Removing Europe’s 2021 paints a promising image, with 239 dams eliminated throughout 17 nations.
Spain eliminated essentially the most boundaries, with 108 constructions demolished over 2021 - together with a 13 metre excessive dam.
Three nations – Portugal, Montenegro, and Slovakia – recorded their first ever dam removals in 2021.
Europe-wide, 87 per cent of the eliminated boundaries have been weirs, however just below 1 / 4 of removals (24 per cent) have been larger than two metres.
In Finland, a functioning hydropower dam was additionally dismantled, the primary of three on the Hiitolanjoki River.
When the remaining two dams are eliminated - throughout the subsequent couple of years - landlocked salmon will hopefully be capable to return to their spawning grounds.
“The outcomes of the dam removing are already seen since fish spawning nests have been noticed within the autumn of 2021,” the report says.
Dam removing made headlines in February, after Ukraine repelled Russian forces by opening a Soviet-era dam on the Irpin River close to Kyiv.
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