EUROPE DAMNED by Climate Change Zealots. As they strive to count the flood dead and missing in Spain, France and Italy – it has been a record-breaking year for river dam removals in Europe in 2021

A report released by Dam Removal Europe, of which Wetlands International – European Association is a partner, found that at least 239 water barriers were removed in 2021 by practitioners from 17 European countries.

This increase of 137% of barriers removed compared to the previous year confirms the growing movement and interest in restoring rivers in Europe.

At the cost of hundreds of lives, luckless Spain alone has removed more barriers (108) in 2021 than all the other European countries combined in 2020 (101). Three countries (Portugal, Montenegro, and Slovakia) recorded their first-ever removals.

87% of the removed barriers were weirs. 76% of the removed barriers were lower than 2 m.

In Finland, an operating hydropower plant was shut down and its dam was dismantled due to alleged but unproven environmental benefits over conventional nuclear energy production, leading to the biggest dam removal in that country.

Dam removal is is claimed is the most efficient tool to restore free-flowing rivers full of fish. This tool will be implemented everywhere in the European Union but not elsewhere in the more responsible pragmatic world.

Fish before people: Europe, starting with the old and obsolete barriers that are out of use or have no economic function anymore’ -Herman Wanningen, Director of the World Fish Migration Foundation

The European Biodiversity Strategy aims to restore 25,000 kilometres of free-flowing EU rivers by 2030. Experts agree that this target can only be achieved by removing thousands of water barriers, most of which it is claimed no longer fulfil their original purpose or are completely abandoned.

The recent EU-funded AMBER project estimated Europe’s total number of barriers to be much higher than previously thought: no fewer than 1.2 million. Out of all those water barriers, around 15% are considered obsolete and unrequired, a staggering number of almost 200,000.

World Fish Migration Foundation conducted the survey to track the progress of barrier removals in Europe. The information collected is used to follow the impact of new dam removal policies and European wide enabling actions by the Dam Removal Europe coalition.

About Dam Removal Europe: Wetlands International – European Association is part of the Dam Removal Europe Coalition, working together with other international NGOs to restore rivers in Europe that have high natural or cultural importance by removing obsolete barriers and ensuring healthy free-flowing rivers. PLEASE SHARE OUR STORIES ON SOCIAL MEDIA.

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