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Open letter: Nature-based water resilience cannot wait

The 🇪🇺 has dropped an essential plan to make Europe more water resilient 🤯

Floods & droughts are worsening, we must be prepared!

Today, 28 organisations, including NGOs, city networks, sustainable farmers, trade unions and professional associations, are calling on the @EUCommissionto put a nature-based EU Water Resilience Initiative back on the agenda before the 2024 🇪🇺 elections.

Presented as an end-of-term priority by the President of the European Commission, this communication was announced for 12 March, before finally being postponed to an unknown date. However in the face of more intense and frequent extreme weather events related to climate change, the EU should accelerate its action to address recurrent water scarcity and protect society against the effects of droughts, floods, wildfires and sea level rise. Achieving water resilience through nature based solutions should be a political priority under the next European Commission, with healthy freshwater and marine ecosystems – rivers, lakes, wetlands, deltas and coastal areas – at its core.

Read our open letter to @vonderleyen

Protest on the Albanian Shushica River: Vjosa National Park in danger

++ An entire valley stands up against the diversion of its water: On Saturday, 24 February, the mayors from the Shushica Valley gathered to protest the nature-destroying plans for the Shushica ++ Albanian government wants to divert the water from the Vjosa tributary ++ Vjosa National Park in danger after just one year ++

Press release from EuroNatur, Eco Albania and Riverwatch

Radolfzell, Vienna, Tirana, Kuç. 12 mayors and numerous other residents of the Shushica Valley and other regions of the Vjosa National Park, activists, lawyers and scientists gathered this morning in the village of Kuç on the banks of the Shushica River. They are protesting the plans of the government in Tirana to take the water from the Shushica and channel it to the Mediterranean coast 17 kilometres away in Himara to promote mass tourism there.

Officially declared in March 2023, the Vjosa Wild River National Park encompasses the Vjosa and its key tributaries, including the Shushica. However, less than a year later, the Shushica faces potential removal from protected status, leading to the “amputation” of the Vjosa National Park. The proposed withdrawal of 140 litres of water per second from the Shushica would completely dry up the upper river reaches during summer. This poses a significant threat to biodiversity and has severe repercussions for the local population in around 30 affected villages. The intervention may lead to the exclusion of the Shushica from the national park, as such measures are prohibited in this protection category, depriving the local community of the benefits of ecotourism.

Elidon Kamaj – Mayor of Brataj says : “We had high hopes for the national park as we anticipated it would boost economic development. Given our region’s challenges with emigration, establishing the national park held the promise of transformative change for us. However, if our water is now taken away and Shushica loses its national park status, our economic future will be at stake.”

The German development bank Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW) and the Western Balkan Investment Framework (WBIF) are financing the project, and the Austrian company STRABAG is carrying out the construction work. The ministries’ approvals and the financing were based on a completely flawed environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA). The consequences of the project for the Shushica were not analysed, and the people living along the Shushica were not informed. National and international scientists who reviewed these analyses concluded “…the results are misleading and incorrect.” (see attachement).

“We won’t stand by as our water is stolen from us. This project was never communicated to us; its existence only came to light when the construction equipment showed up. We won’t tolerate our water being taken away, and we are prepared to take action to halt the construction.” More than 50 residents filed a lawsuit against this project together with the Albanian nature conservation organisation EcoAlbania. The first court hearing is still pending, declares Astrit Balilaj – Mayor of Kuçi.

“The risk lies in the potential for the water diversion on the Shushica to set a precedent. The actions unfolding today on the Shushica might repeat tomorrow in other sections of the national park. The credibility of the entire Wild River National Park is at stake,” says Olsi Nika, Executive Director of EcoAlbania.

“The Wild River National Park is based on a largely natural, undisturbed water balance in its network of veins. This is what makes this area so unique, which is why people from all over Europe come here. This diversion project, therefore, jeopardises the entire national park. Germany and the WBIF must withdraw from the project if Albania does not stop the construction work immediately and order a real EIA,” says Ulrich Eichelmann, Executive Director of Riverwatch.

“The Albanian government has probably assumed that we will turn a blind eye to one or two nature-destroying projects in return for the designation of the Vjosa National Park, but we will not compromise. We will not give up until the Vjosa and its tributaries are truly safe!” says Annette Spangenberg, Head of Nature Conservation at EuroNatur.

The joint demands of the local residents, mayors, scientists and activists can be summarised as follows:

  1. Halt construction immediately.
  2. Conduct a new environmental impact assessment.
  3. Identify and analyse alternative water resources for the coastal area around Himara as part of the EIA, with the help of national and international experts.

Background information:

– Joint press release by EuroNatur, Eco Albania and Riverwatch,

– In March 2023, the Vjosa National Park was established in Albania, Europe’s first wild river conservation area, which encompasses a total of 404 kilometres of the Vjosa river network with its tributaries Shushica, Drino and Bënça. After less than a year, the national park is now in danger; construction work is already well advanced and is due to be completed in August this year.

– The nature-destroying project has so far also been financed with German taxpayers’ money, namely with funds from the Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF).

– EIA & position paper available on demand

– The “Save the Blue Heart of Europe” campaign aims to protect rivers with particularly high natural value on the Balkan Peninsula, which are threatened by more than 3,400 hydropower projects and other nature-destroying plans. The campaign is coordinated by the international nature conservation organisations Riverwatch and EuroNatur and implemented together with partner organisations in the Balkan countries. The local partner in Albania is EcoAlbania. Further information can be found at https://balkanrivers.net

– The campaign is supported by the Manfred-Hermsen-Stiftung, among others.

Logo Openrivers

Open Rivers Programme call open and helpdesk support

the Open Rivers Programme call will be opening shortly, on 21 February.

 

The call will be for barrier identification projects, preparation and demolition. Just a reminder that ORP have also extended the opportunity for public entities to apply. There are however restrictions to consider, including 50% co-funding.

 

A DRE helpdesk is in place to support organisations from South Eastern Europe with their applications, an initiative coordinated by WWF, WFMF and ERN, through funding from Open Rivers Programme project “Scaling Up Dam Removal in South Eastern Europe”.

 

If you are thinking about developing a dam removal project, please join us in a series of meetings where we will explain more about Open Rivers Programme, help review your proposal and where you can gain valuable insights from ORP grantees.

 

Important information for those of you who are planning to submit an ORP

  1. Magda Jentgena from WWF Latvia will be presenting about her project on 22 Feb 11:00 CET. Please join us, to celebrate Magda’s work and to hear more about the Dam removal work in Latvia!
  2. There are a series of meetings to explain more about ORP funding and discuss the Expression of Interest and how we can help you in the process (introduction, review process & Q&A) hosted by the DRE Helpdesk. Please choose one of these dates to participate (28 Feb, 7 March, 14 March).
  3. If you would like to make use of the Helpdesk review process. The internal deadline is 14 March (this takes into account easter holidays).
  4. ORP will host a Q&A on 12 March at 16:00-17:00. This is coordinated by ORP. As soon as we have information regarding registration, we will let you know.

Read the helpdesk flyer to find out more about what we can do for you.

Let corinne.ronot@rivernet.org  know if you are taking part in one of these meetings, so that we can send you the links.

Historic milestone for rivers: Emptying of the Iron Gate dam on the Klamath River to prepare its removal

The largest dam removal and river restoration project in the history of the United States is taking a major step toward the removal of all hydroelectric dams on the Klamath River in northern California and southern Oregon. The drawdown (draining) of Iron Gate Reservoir began early January so that Iron Gate Dam can be removed later this year. Two other dams, Copco #1 and JC Boyle, will likewise begin to drain in the coming weeks and be fully removed in the summer/fall timeframe. Copco #2, the smallest of the four dams slated for removal, was demolished in October 2023.

IRONGATE dam Klamath

For more than 100 years, these artificial barriers have blocked the migration of several species, like salmon and steelhead trout, impeding them from reaching over 400 miles of habitat. Not only the animals have been harmed. Water quality has been severely damaged, impacting the Hupa, Yurok, and Karuk tribal communities whose livelihoods depend on a healthy river.

To turn the tide, this monumental project symbolizes a collective effort to repair a century of obstruction to fish migration, celebrate indigenous heritage, and ensure the long-term vitality of the Klamath River ecosystem. The project integrates the growing movement to remove more dams and free rivers across the USA, a trend that has also been scaling up in Europe in the past decade through the combined action of several organisations integrating the Dam Removal Europe coalition.

This article is an extract from the article published by Dam Removal Europe (read the complet article)

A dam project on the last wild stretch of the Rhône river!

The STOP Barrage Rhonergia collective is alerting the public to the construction by CNR of a hydroelectric dam on the last wild stretch of the Rhône river in the communes of St Romain de Jalionas (38) and Loyettes (01). This old-fashioned project, already abandoned in 1990, is a waste of public money, even though it will provide little energy. It is a project with irreversible impacts on an already fragile biodiversity.

Prior consultation on the Rhônergia project began on 1 December 2023, for a statutory period of 3 months, until 29 February 2024, in parallel with the initial studies.

You can consult the contributions on the consultation site managed by the CNDP by clicking on the following link ACCESS TO CONTRIBUTIONS and contribute yourself if you have any information.

Studies are available, including one by ZABR on the risks downstream of the project (drinking water supply for the Lyon conurbation, pollution, river level and temperature) https://concertation-rhonergia.fr/fr/documentation 

A call for alternative solutions has also been launched: https://concertation-rhonergia.fr/fr/la-concertation/les-alternatives-l-appel-a-contribution . These alternatives will be presented to the general public at the public meeting (open to all) on Tuesday 23 January 2024 in Saint-Vulbas.

Sign the petition to say no to the dam project: https://www.change.org/p/stop-au-barrage-rhonergia-sur-le-dernier-tron%C3%A7on-sauvage-du-fleuve-rh%C3%B4ne
For more information, see the collective’s website: https://www.stopbarrage.fr/ The collective is apolitical, made up of citizens from nearly 20 communes in our region.
Website dedicated to the consultation: https://concertation-rhonergia.fr/fr/le-projet

Read ERN-SOS Loire Vivante contribution

15 days to go until 2 February, World Wetlands Day!

In a couple of weeks, we’ll be celebrating wetlands all over France and the world!

530 events have already been approved for WWD 2024.

From 2 to 29 February, organise or take part in an event on the theme: “Wetlands, sources of human well-being”.

Our 2023-2024 webinars are online: flood risk, ecological continuity, hydric stress, etc.

With between 70 and 90 people registered for each webinar, SOS Loire Vivante – ERN is helping to raise awareness of the issues surrounding water and rivers.
Watch the replays of our webinars from December 2023 and January 2024 (french only):

9 January 2024: Flood risk: “How can technology help us respond better to flood risk?” more info and programme here
19 December 2023: Law, Hydro & Ecological Continuity, more info and programme here , organised in partnership with Réseau RivièresTV, the Centre de Ressources Cours d’eau and supported by the French Office for Biodiversity (OFB)
5 December 2023: Water stress and water savings on the Allier, more info and programme here

All our webinars since 2020 (french only)

30 years of the victory for a living Loire

On 4 January 1994, precisely 30 years ago, the Interministerial Council decided to definitively abandon the construction of the large Serre de la Fare dam. This was a major victory for the Loire and SOS Loire Vivante, supported by numerous NGOs.

See our press release for the 30th anniversary of the victory (french only)

At the same time, Michel Barnier, then Minister for the Environment, published the first Plan Loire Grandeur Nature, which not only included the abandonment of the Serre de la Fare, but also blocked other dam projects and launched a brand new exemplary policy for the management of the Loire River.

This decision put an end to 5 years of occupation of the site (Plage au Pont de Chadron).

“We want to be proud of the Loire, proud of a beautiful, free, natural Loire and proud of a living, active, enterprising Loire”.
– Michel Barnier, former French Minister for the Environment –

To find out more about the Plan Loire Grandeur Nature, visit our page on the subject: https://www.ern.org/fr/le-plan-loire-grandeur-nature/ (french only)

A special Montpezat rivernews has just been published!

Our latest Rivernews december / january 2024  is devoted entirely to the Montpezat hydroelectric complex and provides an update on the volumes stored and transferred in 2023. Allg figures are to be confirmed during January 2024 and will be updated if necessary on our dedicated webpages.

In 2023, 108.4 million m3 were transferred to the Ardèche (compared with 220 million m3 in the “best” years). Most of this, 100 Mio m3, was taken from the Loire in autumn and transferred in winter for peak electricity production. The significant drop in rainfall in autumn/winter resulted in a 50% reduction in winter turbines compared with the past. In spring, 9.4 Moi m3 were stored in the reservoirs on the Loire side and used to support the low-water levels of the Ardèche (8.4 Moi m3) and the Loire (1 Moi m3), in line with the low-water support objectives. The year 2023 had got off to a bad start, however, and it seemed impossible to fill the reservoirs at the La Palisse, Gage and Issarlès dams, but the weather came to the complex’s rescue in the last few weeks, just before the summer period, which means that the Issarlès lake must remain open to tourists.

See also our other articles:

  • Raising the La Palisse dam: good idea or bad idea?
  • Immersion at the Citizens’ March for equitable water sharing between the Loire and Ardèche rivers
  • Children send us a message: Some of the winners of the 2022-2023 edition of Rivière d’Images et Fleuves de Mots, environmental education project

Read our newsletter (in french only)

 

Figures for 2023
Volumes stored and transferred to the Ardèche or returned to the Loire

Free Flow Conference 2024: Full programme out now!

The World Fish Migration Foundation and the Institute of Fisheries Management, invite you to a 3-day conference about the protection and restoration of Free-Flowing Rivers in Europe.

Gathering policy makers, river managers, ecologists, researchers, students, and industry, this international event expects +400 delegates from all over Europe and the rest of the world.

View the full programme 

When & Where: April 15-17, 2024 in Groningen, the Netherlands

Official website: https://freeflowconference.eu 

Registrations are open until April 1, 2024. Register here!