The Open Rivers programme is pleased to support a further 20 projects aimed at revitalising river flows and biodiversity across Europe. The projects span 14 countries including Turkey, Germany, Netherlands, and Finland, where the programme has supported projects for the first time.
Among the grant awards, nine projects will focus on demolishing obsolete dams to restore natural river flows, while four will target pre-demolition initiatives to prepare for their subsequent removals. Two of the supported demolition projects are follow-on grants, building on previously supported preparatory works. Particularly noteworthy is Croatia’s first-ever dam removal: their demolition project is not only the first dam removal in Croatia but also the first eight! Upon completing all the demolition projects, 75 km of river is expected to be made free-flowing again, benefitting aquatic life and local communities.
Another four grants will be dedicated to identification projects, conducting crucial activities to identify and shortlist dam removal projects in ecologically valuable areas that can be supported by the programme. Lastly, three projects will provide support to help enable the dam removal movement in areas with few to no dam removals, with the ambition of catalysing over 100 potential demolition projects eligible for support by the programme.
Download the Grant Cycle IV pdf to learn more about each project. More information and details will be available on our website soon.
