Showcase category ➤ Star Scientists
Speciality ➤ Leaders and participants in scientific research and technology, methodology development
Arturo Elosegi
Professor of Ecology at Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU
Restoration Engineers / Consultants / Practitioners
My Projects
Project MERLIN (Mainstreaming Ecological Restoration of freshwater-related ecosystems in a Landscape context: INnovation, upscaling and transformation) has been funded in the EUH202 program (H2020-LC-GD21/01), and our studies have also been supported by the Basque Government (IT1471-22). Our team is especially grateful to the Gipuzkoa Province Council, the implementation partner of the project, whose contribution has gone well beyond the technical aspects of dam removal
Project Merlin Case Study 02 - Deba river restoration case study
- Key project facts
River Deba drains a highly industrialised valley. After decades of extremely high water pollution, sanitation and wastewater treatment greatly improved water quality. Now hydromorphology becomes one of the main limitations. MERLIN attempted to remove all 10 obsolete weirs along the main stem of the Deba to increase fish passability, to restore sediment mobility, to improve river habitats and to reduce the risk of flooding.
- What impact did these projects have on biodiversity, if any?
We are still monitoring the effect on biodiversity, which will take time to develop. But the river habitats improved in a very short time and we expect increased biodiversity and increased movements of endangered fish species such as the European eel.
- What work challenges did you face and what approach did you take to solve them?
Working in a valley with so high human density is challenging, and there are many constraints on
technical issues such as how can machines access the river or how to ensure that dam removal will not unstabilise river banks. The Gipuzkoa Province Council, the implementation partner of the project, has a highly skilled staff to address these issues. Regarding our part of the project, which is mainly the monitoring of ecological effects of dam removal, the river is often complex to access, the fact that dams form a string along the main stem makes it complex to disentangle the effects of each removal. This is even more complex in a basin with so many human actions, where multiple stressors make it challenging to measure and to interpret any change.
- What lessons learned are transferable to other places/projects?
The most technical issues were addressed by the Province Council and, thus, I cannot comment on them. But the main two main lessons we learned are that adjustments of physical habitat after dam removal are extremely fast and safe, and that often the main problem is the societal perception of the river, its problems and potential solutions.
- What is your biggest barrier and what are you trying to do about it?
I do not know whether this is a technical or administrative issue, but there was strong disagreement between the departments of culture and environment in the Basque Government. The legal status of some of the weirs blocked some of the works until there have been some changes in the legislation that made the situation easier to solve.
My Focus and Approach
- Lessons Learnt - Some recommendations for others?
- What’s most important:
Be imaginative, do not simply repeat the solutions you applied elsewhere.
- Do this, not that:
Inform the local society, but always have in mind what is and what is not restoration. Hint: promoting tidy, gardened, stable rivers os often the opposite to restoration.
- Always start by:
Imagining what would be the pristine state of your river and what are the main impacts that lead to the current situation.
- What to do when things get difficult…:
Be patient. Talk, talk, talk. Work with the river, not against it.
- 5 simple steps to:
- Define the potential natural status of your river.
- Understand the impact that led to the current status.
- Identify things that could/could not be restored.
- Share your ideas with managers.
- Discuss your project with local stakeholders.
- The biggest barrier and what I am trying to do about it:
The biggest barrier is in information, the purposeful denial of environmental problems or of potential solutions for purely political reasons. Scientific rigor and involving in public outreach are the only solutions I know.
- What’s most important:
My Journey
- My journey:
I started researching ecosystem functioning in the most natural rivers in the region, what I later used to better understand the impacts of multiple human activities (forestry, urban pollution, hydropower...). This in turn led to more interactions and trust with managers and finally opened the door to collaborating in restoration projects where we have a clear idea on setting targets and measuring effects in terms and of biodiversity and functioning. This interaction has been fruitful for both managers and researchers and thus has been increasing over time.
- My Education:
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I got my degree in Biological Sciences and a PhD in Ecology at the University of the Basque Country.
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- The Big Change:
Not sure it has been a big change, but I helped making the society aware of how important a healthy environment is for a healthy society, and that we cannot simply protect what we got, that we must improve the environment and restore river ecosystems.
- Favourite part of the work I do:
Visiting/researching our most pristine sites, imagining solutions to existing problems, discussing with managers, following ecosystem recovery.
Interview
Key Topics:
Key Topics
These relate to specific topics (e.g. technical solutions; restoration activities etc.) addressed within the showcase materials.
- River connectivity
- Dam removal
- Habitat restoration
- Flooding risk
Prone2Success Factors Demonstrated:
Prone2Success Factors Demonstrated
These are the Prone2Success checklist factors which are highlighted within this showcase. More information on the Prone2Success checklist can be found here.
- Measurable goals to improve ecological status
- Measurable goals to improve ecosystem services
- Supports WFD, NRL and other restoration policy goals
- Communicate/engage with stakeholders from the outset
- Engage with the local community from the outset
- Obtain sufficient finance for all project stages
- Ensure stakeholder understanding / education of restoration goals & benefits
- Demonstrate specific ecological improvements/legal compliance / communicating results during and after the project
- Take climate change into account
NRL Restoration Categories:
NRL Restoration Categories
These are the restoration categories (listed under Annex VII of the European Nature Restoration Law (NRL) which are relevant to this showcase.
- [2] Improve hydrological conditions
- [6] Remove obsolete barriers
- [7] Re-naturalise river beds
- [8] Restore natural sedimentation
- [22] Improve connectivity across habitats
- [32] Reduce pollution (chemicals, urban/industrial wastewater, litter, plastics)
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Acknowledgements & Links
This material was provided by: Arturo Elogesi