Undamming Europe

EUROPE IS on a river-barrier demolition spree—23 countries demolished 542 barriers in 2024. The continent must pursue this trend more vigorously if it is to meet its target of making 25,000 km of rivers barrier-free by 2030.

- By RICHARD MAHAPATRA

According to data compiled by Dam Removal Europe (DRE), a coalition of six organisations including the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), The Nature Conservancy and the European Rivers Network, Europe has one dam for every kilometre of its rivers. Little wonder, then, that countries are increasingly joining the drive to enable rivers to flow free and to restore original aquatic ecosystems. The number of barriers removed last year was the highest since the drive started in 2020, says DRE data. In 2020, some 11 countries removed 101 barriers like dams, weirs, culverts and sluices on rivers. By 2023, this rose to 15 nations removing 487 barriers.