2025 was another record-breaking year for the Open Rivers Programme. Thanks to the support of our donor Arcadia, we awarded 68 grants with a total value of €7,79 million to 54 organisations across Europe. ORP-supported projects successfully removed 35 dams, reconnecting 974.1 km of river.
This has been the programme’s strongest year to date, and we are pleased to see a significant rise in the number of supported projects.
Highlights from 2025
- Supporting the removal of the Palokki Hydropower Dam in Finland, which will restore 1,523 km of river, one of the largest and most ecologically significant barrier removal projects in Europe to date.
- Supporting two further barrier removal projects in Finland that will together restore 275 km of river.
- Supporting 15 projects in ecologically valuable sites across Central and Southern Europe that will map and shortlist barriers for removal across more than 74,000 km of river catchment.
“Every removed barrier is an acknowledgement that we can learn from the past and a step forward towards a different, more natural future for Europe’s rivers”
– Jack Foxall, Executive Director
Arda river, Bulgaria, 2013 © Staffan Wildstrand
Grants supported in 2025
- 25 grants to remove 53 dams and restore 2,240 km of river in ecologically valuable sites across 11 European countries.
- 26 grants to support pre-demolition work for the eventual removal of 89 barriers and the restoration of 860 km of river across 16 European countries.
- 15 grants to identify an estimated 45 high-impact dams for removal in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Italy, Kosovo, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Türkiye, and Ukraine.
- 2 grants to support pre-demolition work for the eventual removal of six barriers, restoring 25.7 km of river, with removal costs secured from another funder.
Achievements to date (2021-2025)
As of 31st December 2025, the programme has committed €17.66 million to 196 projects, removed 117 dams, and restored 1,764.5 km of river. When all supported projects are completed, we will have removed 174 dams and restored 3,857.1 km of river.
Looking ahead to 2026, we aim to grow the number of dam removals supported by our grants. Our main challenges will be engaging new applicants, bringing in more projects that involve multiple removals, and securing high-impact work.
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If you have a dam removal project, consider applying for our next open call. Check out our application calendar and explore the application guidance materials.
