Flooding has become a big issue after large parts of Yorkshire and Derbyshire were left underwater after huge rainfall totals in the last week.
There have been calls for more flood defences but flood walls, gates and ditches tend to push flood waters from one place to another. Instead, there is a growing recognition that floods can also be controlled by natural means.
As an employee of Tyne Rivers Trust and Hexham resident, I'm very fortunate to work on and live beside the 'best salmon river in England'. I regularly wander down to the bridge to see salmon leaping (beyond a man-made obstruction; the irony is not lost!) and it is incredibly rewarding to know that work we do directly benefits this iconic species. Therefore, the opportunity to work with the WWF through their Dam Removal Europe Crowding Campaign is one we couldn't pass up.
Financed by crowdfunding, the removal of 10 obsolete dams on the Kogilnik and Sarata Rivers will help to restore wild nature and should provide economic benefit to local communities.
Removal role model
The Ukrainian part of the Danube Delta rewilding area has just become a little wilder, with 10 dams removed on the Kogilnik and Sarata Rivers. The dams were all located within the territory of the Danube Biosphere Reserve (DBR).
Three families of beavers are to be introduced on land managed by the National Trust as part of plans to ease flooding and improve biodiversity.
Basin Bookends
Leith Boully and Karlene Maywald
This joint interactive plenary seeks to share the perspectives of the upstream and downstream communities’ challenges through personal narratives and share solutions. A Change Maker Panel representing science, business, cultural and government sectors, then describe their challenges in communicating and influencing change on the road to resilient rivers.
Are you interested in applying for academic admission to attend the "International Joint Master's Degree Programme in Limnology & Wetland Management (LWM)", commencing in October 2020?
The deadline for submitting the application documents for academic admission is the 15th December 2019!
Austrian and Dutch fellowships for applicants from the global south available!
Please find more information on LWM on their YouTube channel:
We are pleased to announce the transition of Hydrology Research (HR) to a fully Open Access journal from 1 January 2020. The move to Open Access coincides with the 50th anniversary of the journal and a 37.4% increase in Impact Factor (to 2.47). To make this transition possible, all articles submitted after 31 October, 2019 will be subject to Open Access fees if they are accepted for publication.
The CIEEM Awards are a fantastic celebration of the success of projects, businesses and individuals who have made significant contributions to protecting the natural environment. Next year, our Awards Ceremony will be held on 25th June at the prestigious Merchant Taylors’ Hall in London.
The Awards categories for 2020 are:
Challenges and Choices is a great opportunity to engage with your communities, partners and stakeholders. It’s a chance to urge your partners to contribute to the consultation and to get them more involved in river basin and catchment management. Challenges and Choices gives you an opportunity to help secure commitment and investment from a wider range of partners –to support your activities and improve the water environment.
This guide has been produced to provide simple, clear advice on the provision of natural flood management measures for lowland areas.