Europe stands at a critical juncture. As the fastest-warming continent, we are witnessing the devastating impacts of climate change - from deadly floods to severe droughts and wildfires - all driven by extreme water events. At the same time, Europe’s freshwater is widely polluted, with less than 30% of surface waters meeting pollution standards set by the Water Framework Directive.
To ensure clean and sufficient water for people and shield society from droughts and floods, we must restore and protect Europe’s freshwater ecosystems. Time is running out, but decisive EU leadership can pave the way for a resilient future.
As the EU prepares its Water Resilience Strategy, the Living Rives Europe is launching its joint position on the path forward for a climate and water resilient Europe.
Key Asks include:
- Deliver the EU Green Deal and build a resilient Europe by mitigating climate change, halting and reversing biodiversity loss, preventing pollution and limiting resource use, including water.
- Set legally binding water and climate resilience targets.
- Maintain and enforce environmental standards.
- Integrate freshwater considerations across EU policies.
- Eliminate harmful subsidies.
Anglers urge European Institutions to better protect and enhance its free-flowing rivers and freshwater ecosystems!
With their active contribution to the Living Rivers Europe (LRE) Coalition, the European Anglers Alliance (EAA) – a founding member of the Coalition – aim to shed light on the worrying state of Europe’s freshwaters such as free-flowing rivers. This as too often, the connection between rivers, oceans, sea and/or floodplains is broken. Free-flowing rivers will help Europe us achieving healthy fish stocks by allowing more fish migration in a good environment and healthy aquatic ecosystems prepared for climate change effects.
Also, removing obsolete barriers and reconnecting our rivers will complement further to other European obligations such as under the Water Framework Directive and the Nature Directives. Furthermore, the restoration of free-flowing rivers will contribute to improving the ecological status and the biological diversity of rivers, lakes and wetlands. This must be seen as key priority for the coming political mandate as Europe’s rivers remain the most fragmented in the world , with a mean density of 0.74 barriers per kilometre!
More information
*The Living Rivers Europe Coalition is a coalition of six environmental and angling organisations: WWF's European network, the European Anglers Alliance, European Environmental Bureau, European Rivers Network, Wetlands International Europea and the Nature Conservancy.
