The first findings of the expedition were summarized in this report, to provide some very preliminary impressions, highlights and an overview from each of the specialty groups of what was done during this impressively international and collaborative effort. The data collected will be analysed in much more detail over the next months and a more detailed final report is expected by the end of the year 2022.

Greenfield large hydropower investments across southeast Europe face major risks and low realisation rates, according to a new report by CEE Bankwatch, EuroNatur, Riverwatch and WWF Adria published today, which also highlights nine high-risk project cases. Vulnerability to drought, legal issues, increasing public resistance and lack of financing are among the factors which have stopped a slew of large hydropower projects in recent years.

​​From 27 June to 3 July, more than 50 scientists, accompanied by journalists, activists, chefs and an artist from across Europe, participated in a science week on the Neretva River in Bosnia and Herzegovina. During the multidisciplinary expedition, the scientists studied and collected samples of the local biodiversity and we will use the data to help stop hydropower projects on the Bosnian river.

Wetlands International Europe, Riverwatch, GEOTA, EuroNatur, and WWF Adria invite you to the third European Rivers Summit (ERS) in Brussels, Belgium from 29 September to 1 October. The ERS aims to inspire a movement of connected citizens in Europe to protect and restore European rivers, fight new dams and remove obsolete barriers. Registrations are now open!

After ten years of dedicated action by local communities, environmentalists, scientists and artists to permanently protect the Vjosa River and its tributaries, today, the Albanian government took the historic step of signing a commitment to establish a Vjosa Wild River National Park. The Wild River National Park will protect the entire network of the Vjosa from the Greek border to the Adriatic Sea, including the free-flowing tributaries. This is something that has never been done before in Europe. 

On June 4th, well-known artists from Albanian and abroad performed at the "Vjosa Forever" concert in Tepelena in support of the #VjosaNationalParkNow campaign: At the concert, organized by Blue Heart partner EcoAlbania, hundreds of supporters filled the Lord Byron square in Tepelena and enjoyed the electrifying performances of the #ArtistsForVjosa

On May 6th, EcoAlbania together with 28 residents of Brataj village and the Association "Impetus", filed a lawsuit against four hydropower plants planned on the Shushica river to the Administrative Court of Tirana/Albania. The Shushica is one of the most important tributaries of the Vjosa River, which carries high natural and cultural values.

The Shushica - a tributary of the Vjosa in Albania – is once again under attack from hydropower projects. They had already been averted, since the permits for the plants had long expired. However, we now learned that the Albanian National Environmental Agency had already given the green light on November 16, 2021

The theme of this year’s World Water Day is “making the invisible visible” with a special emphasis on the importance of groundwater. Groundwater is quantitatively the most important freshwater resource as there is 100 times more groundwater than surface water. In fact, it is where we source most of our fresh drinking water.

The small hydropower boom, which has damaged pristine rivers and streams across the Western Balkans, has largely been fueled by generous feed-in tariffs. This briefing highlights the recent progress towards changing the rules on renewable energy support in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro and Serbia.