Barrier Removal for Flood Prevention and Safety Webinar
Upcoming webinar! WWF Netherlands and ERN – on behalf of DRE – in collaboration with McMillen are organizing this Barrier Removal for Flood Prevention and Safety webinar.
📅 The webinar will occur on February 11 2026, 15:00 -16:30 CEST.
In Europe communities are rethinking the role of aging barriers. While many still associate barrier removal with risk or loss of control, an increasing number of projects are showing the opposite: removing obsolete barriers can actually reduce flood risk, restore natural flow dynamics, and strengthen climate resilience. In this webinar, we will explore how barrier removal can contribute to flood protection and public safety.
Through real-world examples and expert insights from the USA and Europe, we’ll look at cases where reconnecting rivers has helped reduce flood peaks, improve sediment transport, and enhance the overall stability of river systems. Join us as we uncover how working with natural processes—rather than against them—can create safer, more adaptable landscapes for people and nature alike.
Program
15:00 – Opening – Ella McSweeny
15:02 – Claude Schortgen (AGE – National Water Authority – Luxembourg) – Barrier removal and Flood risk management: Experiences from Luxembourg
15:09 – Poll
15:12 – Roberto Epple (European Rivers Network – France) – European context with examples from France
15:27 – Kevin Jensen (McMillen – USA) – How barrier removal can reduce flooding
15:42 – Live interview with Lisa Hollingsworth-Segedy (American Rivers – USA)
15:49 – Arturo Elosegi Irurtia (University of the Basque Country – Spain) – Lessons learnt from the MERLIN project in the Basque Country: Removing physical, social and psychological barriers to restore river connectivity
16:04 – Mark Scheepens (Regional Water Authority Dommel – Netherlands) – Flood plain/stream valley restoration and how it can prevent flooding in urban areas in the Netherlands
16:19 – Q&A
16:33 – Closing
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