RESTORE - Rivers: Engaging, Supporting and Transferring knowledge for Restoration in Europe (RESTORE)

Description:

River ecosystems throughout Europe have been severely impacted by engineering projects for flood protection, navigation, water supply and hydroelectricity. It is estimated that less than 20% of Europe’s rivers and floodplains are in their natural state and many species have been lost. The role of river restoration, often promoting ‘soft’ engineering solutions, as a tool to reserve some of the problems associated with damage to these ecosystems has grown considerably in recent decades, particularly at the local level. The aim of river restoration is to re-establish self-sustaining environments and to restore complete ecosystems. River restoration can also assist with adaptation to climate change by strengthening ecological networks and providing climate space. The overall river restoration effort is hindered, however, not by a lack of expertise at the local level but by a lack of opportunities for sharing best practice and knowledge.

Addressing this gap in knowledge transfer is the main aim of the ‘RESTORE’ project. The project will develop a network linking policymakers, river basin planners, practitioners and experts across Europe to share information and good practice on river restoration activities. The main objectives are: to support river restoration practices across Europe; to build up existing river restoration network capacity; to promote effective river restoration knowledge transfer. The project will support the work of existing networks in communicating best practice. Tools to promote knowledge transfer will also be developed and used to communicate key messages to target audiences.

Project information

Lead

UK Environment Agency

Partners

River Restoration Centre, United Kingdom; Finnish Environment Institute, Finland; Italian River Restoration Centre, Italy; DLG Government Service for Land and Water Management, The Netherlands; Wetlands International, The Netherlands.

Source of funding

1,794,567.00 €