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Legal Protection Schemes for Free-Flowing Rivers in Europe: An Overview

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  • Tobias Schäfer

    (Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), 12587 Berlin, Germany
    Present address: WWF Germany, 10117 Berlin, Germany.)

Abstract

Most of Europe’s rivers are highly fragmented by barriers. This study examines legal protection schemes, that specifically aim at preserving the free-flowing character of rivers. Based on national legislation, such schemes are found in seven European countries: Slovenia, Finland, Sweden, France and Spain as well as Norway and Iceland. The study provides an overview of the individual schemes and their respective scope, compares their protection mechanisms and assesses their effectiveness. As Europe’s the remaining free-flowing rivers are threatened by hydropower and other development, the need for effective legal protection, comparable to the designation of Wild and Scenic Rivers in the United States, is urgent. Similarly, any ambitious strategy for the restoration of free-flowing rivers should be complemented with a mechanism for their permanent protection once dams and other barriers are removed. The investigated legal protection schemes constitute a starting point for envisioning a more cohesive European network of strictly protected free-flowing rivers.

Suggested Citation

  • Tobias Schäfer, 2021. "Legal Protection Schemes for Free-Flowing Rivers in Europe: An Overview," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-31, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:11:p:6423-:d:569269
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Remus Creţan & Lucian Vesalon, 2017. "The Political Economy of Hydropower in the Communist Space: Iron Gates Revisited," Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie, Royal Dutch Geographical Society KNAG, vol. 108(5), pages 688-701, October.
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