Advancing freshwater restoration

Since EcoAdvance (Horizon Europe) started, we have strived to present a balance between the different drivers and consequences of freshwater restoration: bringing back nature while understanding and facilitating local needs for renewable energy, navigation, water security, NBS and low cost engineered solutions.

• Remove, rehabilitate, revamp dams to achieve the river connectivity goals?
• Is there one solution for all? Does it serve the local citizens?
• Can the planning process required of each Member State achieve a balance or do cultural and social stereotypes command the stage? 
• What do people see as the ideal, right thing to do and are they willing to pay for it?
• Are the stereotypes – people in arid area want dams for water security and people in water-abundance area what connectivity and natural landscapes. – right and useful for decision-making?
  
  

The recent EcoAdvance (Horizon Europe) survey (results forthcoming) to identify the factors that make freshwater restorations successful --both from the perspective of the environment and local socio-financial considerations, made it clear that one size does not fit all. Assuming that a specific stakeholder group will hold a particular position and planning “accordingly” does not make projects prone to success.

How do you achieve real stakeholder engagement as part of the hashtag#NatureRestorationLaw platform?