+++ Mesopotamia Ecology Movement +++ Initiative to Keep Hasankeyf Alive +++ Disaster Flood in the Tigris – Made by a Turkish DamPress Release, 19.12.2018 On the evening of the 13th December 2018 one of the three spillway gates of the Dicle Dam at the Tigris River in Turkish-Kurdistan has broken. Since then the water level […]
Good News : The paper drafted by a group of government officials was NOT endorsed at the Water Directors’ meeting November the 29!!
This document included a series of proposed changes to the WFD which, if ever put into effect, would constitute a significant weakening of the legislation.
The letter sent to Water Directors on behalf of the Living Rivers Europe coalition, as well as all the separate letters sent and communications were explicitly recognised in the discussion and in the final report of the meeting ! Congratulation !!
This really is a major success for Living Rivers Europe.
Post extract from the web site of Riverwatch
++ 80,000 kilometers of rivers in the Balkans scientifically assessed ++ 76 percent thereof identified as no-go zones for hydropower development ++ Switch in energy policy is necessary and possible ++
Vienna, Radolfzell, November 27, 2018 – Three quarters of the rivers in the Balkans are ecologically so valuable, that they should be completely off limits for hydropower development. This is the conclusion of the Eco-Masterplan, which was published today by the NGOs Riverwatch and EuroNatur within the context of the “Save the Blue Heart of Europe” campaign. The Eco-Master Plan is a kind of spatial plan for the watercourses between Slovenia and Greece, indicating No-go zones for new hydropower plants. For this purpose, a river network of over 80,000 kilometers in length was scientifically assessed. The result: about 61,000 kilometers of river (76 percent) are of high ecological quality and therefore designated as No-go zones for hydropower expansion (click here for visual story-map). “We call upon investors and decision-makers in the Balkans and in the EU to refrain from approving hydropower plants in these No-go areas in the future. The protection of Balkan Rivers is a pan-European task and the Eco-Masterplan is a tool for all those in charge in order to preserve this treasure,”… read the complet Pressrelease and download the report
Living Rivers Europe coaltion (European Anglers Alliance, EEB, ERN, Wetlands International et WWF) sent to the Water Directors, before the meeting in Vienna 29 and 30 November, a letter to express there grave concerns over the process and the content of the work of the Consultation Group on the future of the Water Framework Directive (WFD). LRE strongly urge Water Directors not to endorse the document on ‘the future of the WFD’ .
Read the Rivernews France November 2018 (french only)
Notre Directive-Cadre sur l’Eau est menacée !
Continuité écologique : Pays-Bas 1 / France 0
Le Prix EuroNatur 2018 attribué à …
La Métropole du Grand Paris adopte le Big Jump !
Effacement sur la Sélune, Abaissement sur l’Allier
L’Eau vous consulte : Donnez votre avis !
En bref…
The UK study estimated that just four main sources delivered between 9,000 and 32,000 tonnes of microplastics into waterways every year.
The two worst causes were tyre abrasion and the washing of synthetic clothes, such as fleeces.
When people wash clothes made from synthetic material it passes through the sewage system because there are no systems to recover these tiny plastic fibres. They eventually end up in rivers or the marine environment. In parts of Europe it is estimated that two-thirds of clothing are made from synthetic materials.
Recent studies have shown that plastic ends up in the human body.
This study, which was carried out by Eunomia for Friends of the Earth UK, reveals that household plastic waste is roughly on par with large plastic waste, such as bottles, as around 26,000 tonnes of that also enters UK waterways each year.
The four main sources of microplastic waste, according to the report which was reported on today in the Guardian, were as follows:
Earlier this year Eunomia also produced a report for the European Commission on microplastics, particularly those created by wear and tear.
They concluded that the largest reductions could be made at source. They called for new measures to limit the release of manufacturing pellets, to remove the worst performing tyres from the market and to analyse the synthetic clothing that emits the most microfibers when washed and take measures to limit their access to the market.
Photo Guy Warzée
November the 15 the Netherlands were celebrating the opening of the storm surge barrier on the Haringvliet, exactly 47 years after the Haringvliet sluices were rendered operative. That is where one of the three branches of the Rhine flows out into the North Sea. Until now, the storm surge barrier was a major obstacle to the passage of salmon and sea trout into the Rhine delta. Its partial opening greatly increases the chance that salmon and other “long distance migratory fish” will gain access to the Rhine catchment area. In addition, letting in saline water will improve the biodiversity of Haringvliet water.
Because of the drought that has affected the Netherlands over the past few months and the low river discharge, the sluices still remain closed on 15 November, only the decree has been officially adopted. They will from now operate in a fish friendly way in a “learning by doing” approach. As soon as sufficient fresh river water is entering into the Haringvliet Lake they partially open the sluices (maybe this week). If too much saline water is entering, the sluices will be closed.
The partial opening of the Haringvliet barriers has figured on the long list of measures advocated by environmental associations and the International Commission for the Protection of the Rhine (ICPR) for decades. Tenacity and commitment to conservation of nature and the environment has been effective.
Now the Rhine goes open until France and Rhinau hydropower plant. But France and EDF are still making no real progress with the construction of fish ladders at their 3 hydropower plants to enabling migratory fish to make their way up the Upper Rhine at long last. More than ever, effort has to be continued and it is up to France to respond to the great challenges on the Upper Rhine.
The lack of action on the part of EDF might lead to a situation in which the statutory requirements of the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) are missed by a wide margin.
The environmental associations in the Rhine catchment area have therefore registered an appeal seeking to oblige the EU Commission to open proceedings against the French Republic for breach of treaty obligations because of failure to comply with the WFD. We hope that France will at last put this topic on the top of his priority list !!
More info :
Read more : www.salmoncomeback.org and last press release from salmon comeback
90 people came to exchange Friday, November 9 in the prestigious hall of the great gallery of evolution at the National Museum of Natural History in Paris at the invitation of ERN France. A wide variety of institutional actors, associations, researchers, managers, … to try to better understand the many interactions between floods and biodiversity.
A complex subject, as yet little discussed, on which the dialogue has been rich and passionate. Once again, this round table shows the importance of the role of civil society, its ability to create links, to cross knowledge and practices, to confront approaches through dialogue.
Organized with the support of the Ministry of Ecological and Solidarity Transition.
The presentations (Powerpoint) can be ordered using infos @ ern.org
Beginning of Round Table – 09/11/2018 ©ERN France
The #ProtectWater campaign call exceeded 100,000 signatures in less than a month. Congratulation !! But that’s not enough for the European Commission!
The announced threat of a weakening of the Framework Directive is coming to fruition. Member States have been preparing a paper on the future of the WFD which is explicit on the need to change the WFD. 29 November in Vienna, the Water Directors are aiming to adopt by a consensus this document announcing a weakening of the law.
Remain mobilized and of course if you have not done yet sign the public consultation
The #ProtectWater campaign call exceeded 100,000 signatures in less than a month. Congratulation !! But it is not enough !
For the second phase of the campaign, we launched new visuals to engage the public.
The threat of seeing our emblematic species disappear if the WFD is changed or weakened is the theme for the month of November.
Follow us on Facebook and sign the public consultation
ERN France
ERN is the official WWF Freshwater Partner in France and cooperates with WWF Switzerland, Austria, Netherlands and others
