TURNING THE TIDE: SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE EMBRACES RIVER FREEDOM

Free Flowing Future: Dam removal actions surge across Southeastern Europe

The Southeastern Europe Barrier Removal Movement Progress Report 2024–2025 was just released and provides an overview of all the activities that contributed to scaling up dam removal in Southeastern Europe during 2024 and the first half of 2025. It documents more than 130 activities, signaling a turning point for a region long behind the rest of Europe in reconnecting its rivers. The activities presented in the report were classified into: (1) those contributing to scaling up the implementation of barrier removal (e.g., seminars, stakeholder engagement, knowledge dissemination, efforts to influence policy and legislation), (2) the preparatory works (e.g., barrier mapping and assessment, and hydrological, archaeological, etc. surveys), and (3) the actual barrier removals.

The highlights of the report are:

• 135 activities, including training sessions, stakeholder workshops, and policy initiatives, in 16 countries boosted the dam removal movement in 2024 and the first half of 2025
• 33 barriers were removed in 7 countries in the same timeframe
• Slovakia led the way in scaling up efforts, while Italy, Romania, and Croatia emerged as regional frontrunners

Implementation of barrier removal and/or actions leading to potential future infrastructure demolition in Southeastern Europe between 1/2024 and 6/2025. Category 1 = Scaling up barrier removal movement, Category 2 = Preparatory works, Category 3 = Barrier removals

Restoration Success Stories

• Croatia: Eight obsolete barriers were removed, the first ever in the country, at Plitvice Lakes National Park reconnecting 7.6 km of river and restoring habitat for the endangered Danube trout (Figure 2).
• Italy: Five barriers on the Giovenco River were removed, reopening 11 km of free-flowing river and revitalizing local wildlife and ecotourism (Figure 3).
• Bosnia & Herzegovina: Multiple barriers (n=9) were dismantled for the first time in the country, at Hutovo Blato Nature Park and thus 2.5 km were restored for critical fish migration routes and important endemic species.
• Slovakia: Removal of five barriers in the region of the original channel of the Danube reconnected a vital side arm, boosting biodiversity, flood protection & ecosystem resilience.

Re-connection of the degrade Foki side arm to the main river (Old Danube) in Slovakia © BROZ

Despite this progress, less than 1% of all barrier removals in Europe to date have taken place in Southeastern Europe. Extra support is needed to assist the launch of pilot projects, to promote awareness about the benefits of free-flowing rivers, to create networks for practitioners to exchange methods and lessons learned, and to shift existing policies that will enable the implementation of this practice.

In that respect:

• A new short film named “Rivers Are Alive” was just released to remind us of our lost connection with the rivers and to invite us to reimagine a Europe where rivers flow free once again.
• The first Dam Removal Day is going to be celebrated today, October 8; it’s a Europe wide awareness initiative happening today, means to highlight success stories and spread the excitement by featuring at least 32 events in 25 European countries.
• The celebrations will peak with the announcement of the winner of the 4^th European Dam Removal Award on October 16 in Luxembourg.

Removal works of barriers on Giovenco River, Italy @ Bruno D’Amicis

The report was produced as part of the “Scaling up dam removal: implementation plan for Southeastern Europe” project, coordinated by WWF Netherlands in partnership with Fauna & Flora, MedINA Greece, WWF Adria, WWF Slovakia, Wetlands International Europe, and European Rivers Network, with funding from the European Open Rivers Programme.