Zeist, Netherlands – In a significant leap forward for European river restoration, 2025 witnessed an unprecedented dismantling of artificial barriers, with a record-breaking 603 structures removed across the continent. This monumental effort has successfully reconnected over 3,740 kilometers of vital river systems, marking a pivotal moment in the ongoing drive to enhance climate resilience, bolster water and food security, invigorate biodiversity, and accelerate the recovery of critically important freshwater ecosystems.
The findings, detailed in the newly released Dam Removal Europe 2025 report, underscore a dynamic and rapidly expanding movement. This achievement represents the fifth consecutive year that a new record for barrier removals has been set, surpassing the previous high of 542 removals in 2024 by an impressive 11%. This consistent year-on-year growth highlights a maturing and increasingly mainstream approach to river health.
"These achievements show a true European river restoration success story," stated Merijn Hougee, Head of International Landscapes at WWF Netherlands. "From just over 100 annual barrier removals six years ago to more than 600 in 2025, it demonstrates how rapidly river restoration is becoming mainstream and how the momentum is growing. By removing more barriers, we are able to show how biodiversity bounces back and how we can strengthen resilience against climate change."
The Dam Removal Europe initiative, a coalition of six leading environmental organizations including WWF, The Rivers Trust, The Nature Conservancy, European Rivers Network, Rewilding Europe, and Wetlands International Europe, has been instrumental in tracking and promoting these efforts. Their overarching ambition is to restore the free-flowing state of rivers and streams across Europe, establishing barrier removal as a primary restoration tool and embedding this practice into mainstream environmental policy and action.
A Timeline of Growing Momentum
The surge in dam removals is not a sudden phenomenon but a testament to years of dedicated effort and increasing recognition of the ecological and societal benefits. The first continental count of barrier removals, initiated in 2020, recorded just over 100 removals. The subsequent five years have seen a remarkable sixfold increase, culminating in the record-breaking figures of 2025.
This expanding network now encompasses a wider geographical reach. In 2025, two new countries officially joined the dam removal movement: Iceland and North Macedonia. This expansion brings the total number of participating nations to 29, signifying a growing pan-European commitment to revitalizing riverine environments.
European Nations Lead the Charge
Sweden emerged as the leading nation in 2025, spearheading the effort with at least 173 barrier removals. This significant undertaking highlights Sweden’s commitment to addressing its historical legacy of river channelization and damming, often related to its extensive industrial forestry practices where rivers were modified to facilitate timber floating. The removal of numerous obsolete timber dams, remnants of this past, has been crucial in this effort.
Finland continued its strong performance, ranking second in barrier removals for 2025 after topping the list in the previous year. Sampsa Vilhunen, Director of Marine and Freshwater Environments at WWF Finland, commented on the nation’s sustained success: "It is fantastic to see Finland continue leading the way in dam removals in Europe, ranking second in 2025 after topping the list in 2024. What began as a WWF Finland mission has grown into a nationwide movement, driven by strong cooperation between government programs, local actors, and civil society. The positive results we are seeing for rivers, biodiversity, and communities have created broad public and political support for continuing this work. Finland is proud to show that dam removal is not only possible, but one of the most effective ways to restore freshwater ecosystems across Europe."
Spain also featured prominently among the top countries, demonstrating a concerted national effort to address its riverine fragmentation.
Focus on Obsolete Structures and Cumulative Benefits
The vast majority of barriers removed in 2025 were small, often obsolete structures such as culverts and weirs. While individually these may seem minor, their cumulative impact when removed at scale is substantial. These removals are frequently highly cost-effective, offering significant ecological returns for relatively modest investments.
"The success of the dam removal movement is based on a growing recognition that healthy rivers are critical natural infrastructure – living systems that provide flood protection, water security, biodiversity, and climate resilience," explained Chris Baker, Director of Wetlands International Europe. "People increasingly understand that obsolete dams do not need to stay forever: they can – and should – be removed to restore rivers and benefit people, nature, and climate."
Baker further emphasized the scale of the challenge and the opportunity: "Europe’s rivers are fragmented by an estimated 1.2 million barriers – and more than 150,000 of them are already considered obsolete. That makes barrier removal one of the biggest ecological ‘easy wins’ available today. These obsolete barriers no longer provide any benefits, yet they continue to degrade rivers every day they remain standing."
North Macedonia’s Pioneering Effort
The inclusion of North Macedonia as a new participant marks a significant development, showcasing the potential for widespread adoption of river restoration practices even in countries with developing environmental frameworks. The organization Eko-svest led the country’s initial barrier removals, successfully unlocking over 70 kilometers of habitat in the Pčinja River basin.
This pioneering effort followed a structured methodology for prioritizing barriers and benefited from strong public support, with an overwhelming 91% of the local population favoring the restoration of free-flowing rivers nationwide. The project not only reconnected critical habitats for more than ten native fish species but also improved water quality and reduced flood and safety risks for local communities.
Ana Colovic Lesoska, Executive Director of Eko-svest, reflected on the challenges and successes: "Although we faced technical difficulties with the preparation works and the removal, and a general skepticism at the beginning of the project from different stakeholders, the results were broadly accepted and praised by many, including the local community. This restoration project shows that sometimes ecological impact is not the only argument for dam removal. People also need to understand the importance of such restoration and be a driving force behind it."
The North Macedonian project serves as a replicable model for river restoration, underscoring the importance of institutional coordination and robust regulatory frameworks for future barrier removal initiatives, not only within the country but also across Europe.
Addressing Europe’s Fragmented River Networks
Despite the significant progress, Europe’s rivers remain heavily fragmented. An estimated 1.2 million barriers, encompassing dams, weirs, and culverts, disrupt natural hydrological processes. Many of these structures are no longer serving their original purpose but continue to impede the natural flow of water, sediment, and nutrients, critically hindering the migration of aquatic species.
This fragmentation is a major contributor to the degradation of freshwater ecosystems and has played a significant role in the alarming decline of freshwater biodiversity. Recent reports from the European Commission indicate that a staggering 42% of Europe’s freshwater fish species are classified as threatened with extinction, highlighting the urgent need for action.
Broader Implications and Global Commitments
The record-breaking year for barrier removals in 2025 also reinforces the critical role of this practice in achieving broader European environmental objectives. The EU Nature Restoration Regulation, which entered into force in 2024, sets an ambitious target to restore at least 25,000 kilometers of rivers to a free-flowing state by 2030. Barrier removal is unequivocally one of the most effective tools available to meet this target.
Furthermore, these European efforts align directly with global ambitions under the Freshwater Challenge, which aims to restore 300,000 kilometers of degraded rivers worldwide by 2030. The increasing pace of barrier removals across Europe demonstrates a tangible contribution to this international goal.
The sustained upward trend and the increasing participation of European nations in dam removal initiatives signal a fundamental shift in how rivers are perceived and managed. The focus is moving from purely engineered control of watercourses to recognizing their intrinsic ecological value and the multifaceted benefits that free-flowing rivers provide to both nature and society. With momentum continuing to build, 2025 stands as another milestone year for river restoration in Europe, proving that large-scale ecological recovery is not only achievable but is actively underway.
Editor’s Notes:
The full Dam Removal Europe 2025 report, including detailed data, graphs, and high-resolution images, is available for download.
For inquiries, please contact:
Foivos Mouchlianitis
[email protected]
About Dam Removal Europe (DRE):
Dam Removal Europe (DRE) is a collaborative coalition comprising six prominent organizations: the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), The Rivers Trust, The Nature Conservancy, the European Rivers Network, Rewilding Europe, and Wetlands International Europe. The core mission of DRE is to facilitate the restoration of free-flowing rivers and streams throughout Europe. To achieve this, DRE actively promotes barrier removal as a key restoration strategy and advocates for its widespread adoption. Through a collaborative, bottom-up approach, DRE has fostered a continuously expanding European network dedicated to a holistic strategy for removing artificial barriers. More information can be found at www.damremoval.eu.
