Join our upcoming webinars about free flowing rivers

Registration is now open (in French only)

• 16 December from 4pm to 6pm: Axe Vienne Creuse Gartempe – Hydroelectricity or Refuge for Migratory Fish?

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The Creuse has been identified as a key area for migratory fish in the context of climate change. Restoring watercourses and water quality, removing pressures, reconnecting rivers and providing access to refuge areas will facilitate the resilience of watercourses and the return of migratory fish to our rivers.
However, due to the energy transition in particular, there has been an increase in projects to equip weirs with micro-hydroelectric power stations, perpetuating the fragmentation of waterways on strategic routes.
Can these rivers be both sources of hydroelectric power and refuges for biodiversity and endangered migratory fish?
Should we sacrifice biodiversity and water quality in the name of renewable energy, or demand radical solutions to restore the free movement of species and the health of our rivers?

• 13 January from 4pm to 6pm: 25,000 km of free-flowing rivers for Europe – what is France doing?

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The European Union has set itself an ambitious target: to restore at least 25,000 km of free-flowing watercourses by 2030. Under Article 9 of the Nature Restoration Law (NRL), officially adopted on 18 August 2024, Member States must contribute to this target and propose their own contributions. Article 9 of the Nature Restoration Regulation aims to reverse the decline in biodiversity in Europe by 2030 and achieve healthy and resilient ecosystems, with a clear objective of reducing pressures. For watercourses, for example, removing obsolete obstacles is a priority.
But what is Europe’s definition of a free-flowing river? What methodology should be used to characterise them? What actions should be taken to contribute to the objective? What ambitions should we set ourselves?