Greece’s New Barrier Removal Guideline!
We’re excited to introduce the new Guideline on How to Remove River Barriers in Greece, offering a practical overview of the barrier removal process to support free-flowing rivers.
Barrier removal efforts in Greece are increasing, with various initiatives underway. These include mapping river barriers along the Sarantaporos River, a pre-demolition project targeting an irrigation dam in the Peloponnese, and an initiative focused on four barriers on the Agios Germanos River. These projects highlight ongoing progress in enhancing freshwater ecosystems and biodiversity throughout Greece.
Agios Germanos River ford, Greece – March 2025 © Caudron A., Vigier L
To support this growing movement, we have created the Guideline on Freeing Greece’s Rivers. This is the last of a four-part series developed for the Scaling up dam removal: implementation plan for South-Eastern Europe project, funded by the European Open Rivers Programme. Developed by WWF Netherlands with input from MedINA, the guide is a practical resource for practitioners, organizations, public authorities, and individuals aiming to remove obsolete river barriers in Greece to restore river connectivity.
Instead of focusing on detailed engineering or technical removal methods, it offers a holistic, step-by-step approach to barrier removal. It highlights the main phases, decision points, and conditions needed to successfully plan, develop, and execute a barrier removal project. As efforts to remove barriers progress, we hope the four guidelines will support practitioners, authorities, NGOs, and local communities in transforming restoration goals into successful initiatives.
