Biodiversity and ecosystems are being restored after the removal of 487 in 15 European countries in 2023. A 50% increase from 2022, reconnecting over 4300km of rivers.

The record was reported in April 2024 by Dam Removal Europe, a movement of river enthusiasts, volunteers, activists, river practitioners, biologists, and environmental agencies that campaign for freshwater ecosystem restoration.

The European dam removal movement shows no signs of slowing down, with numerous projects slated for 2024 and an increasing network of over six thousand individuals which play a pivotal role in raising awareness and driving action across the continent.

Herman Wanningen, director of The World Fish Migration Foundation said, “It is amazing to witness another record-breaking year for removing obsolete dams in European rivers. Almost 500 barriers were removed, highlighting the growing support for river restoration to enhance water security, reverse nature loss, and adapt to the worsening impacts of climate change."

In line with the EU’s biodiversity targets, the momentum behind restoring rivers by removing obsolete dams is growing with France, Spain, Sweden, and Demark leading the charge.

“From France to Finland, communities, companies and countries are investing in removing dams and increasingly risky barriers to improve river health for people and nature,” said Wanningen.

As well as boosting biodiversity, dam removal also restores ecosystems and enhances climate resilience which is crucial for communities, economies and nature.

The dam removal projects planned for 2024 include the removal of eight dams or barriers in Croatia that are the remains of older infrastructure. Romania is also starting its first barrier removal scheduled for May and, in Spain, the Catalan Water Agency plans will start a dam removal in Colonia del Rio in June, continuing its proactive approach towards river and ecological restoration in the country.

All projects continue a proactive approach towards river and ecological restoration by enhancing river connectivity and ecosystem health.

Wanningen highlighted the need to remove obsolete barriers and prevent future disasters, “[They] do nothing but harm the river, increase nature loss, and pose a growing risk since they were built to cope with very different climatic conditions.

"It is time to rethink the way we manage our rivers by removing all obsolete barriers and letting as many rivers as possible flow freely. A river that does not flow freely is slowly dying,” she said.

The Dam Removal Europe report also warns about the safety risks posed by obsolete river barriers. European rivers are fragmented by more than 1.2 million barriers, including over 150,000 obsolete barriers – many of which pose significant hazards to people and wildlife. Some dams, in particular weirs, can be dangerous due to the formation of inescapably strong subsurface currents.

Dam Removal Europe made the first attempt to collect information about the risks that dams pose to swimmers, kayakers, and other recreational river users. It found records of 82 incidents in 16 countries, which resulted in 129 fatalities.

However, there are still obstacles to progress, as the Nature Restoration Law is currently in limbo after it was unable to secure enough votes in the Council of the European Union. The proposed law includes the target from the EU Biodiversity Strategy on the restoration of at least 25,000km of rivers through dam removals by 2030.

"The handful of EU countries that are blocking the Nature Restoration Law are also jeopardising the recovery and protection of our rivers, which ultimately will adversely affect us,” said Claire Baffert, WWF senior EU policy officer, water & climate change adaptation. “Across Europe, rivers are littered with often obsolete dams that worsen the health of the very freshwater ecosystems that are vital to providing clean drinking water for us, for farming, and for biodiversity.

"The Nature Restoration Law would set an obligation to restore free-flowing rivers. We urge EU ministers to urgently approve the law to ensure rivers can provide their natural services for us and for nature."

Along with this threat, more intense storms and extreme floods due to climate change are also increasing the risk of dams collapsing, particularly ageing and obsolete barriers – threatening lives, properties and economic damage. With tens of thousands of obsolete dams scattered across Europe, the potential for catastrophic failures is a growing risk for downstream communities. At least three river barriers collapsed last year due to heavy rain in Norway, Northern Ireland and Slovenia.

The Dam Removal Europe report was officially launched at the Free Flow Conference, an event co-organized by the World Fish Migration Foundation and the Institute of Fisheries Management in the city of Groningen, Netherlands.