| Europe
the list, with at least 138 barrier removals, followed by France, Spain and Sweden. Most of the removed barriers were obsolete culverts (45%) and weirs( 43%), which can be dismantled cost-effectively, and have a significant cumulative impact. For example, five barriers were removed along an 11km stretch of the Giovenco River in Italy in 2024, restoring its natural flow for the first time in decades. Dams were the next common type of removal at 8%, followed by fords and sluices. Sixty-five percent of removed barriers were lower than 2m, 34% were 2-5m high and 1% were more than 5m high. Sixteen of the removed barriers were originally built for hydropower production.
Free flow
2024 was also the year when the EU Nature Restoration Regulation came into force with one of its goals to restore at least 25000km of fragmented rivers to a free-flowing state by 2030. Barrier removals will also be a key tool in achieving the goals of the global Freshwater Challenge, which the EU has joined and which aims to ensure 300,000km of degraded rivers are under restoration by 2030.
Above: Before and after removal of EBBARP hydropower plant dam on the Bäljane Å river, in Sweden. Photo by Länsstyrelsen Skåne
Above: Five barriers were removed on the Giovenco River in Italy. Photo by Bruno D’Amicics.
Further information
www.damremoval.eu
Below: Removal of the Holsteenkoski Dam in Finland. Photo by Vesa-Matti Väära. Finland removed the most barriers across Europe during 2024.
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