BioAgora consortium members from the Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Sybille Schroer and Twan Stoffers, recently co-authored an article published within the Communications Earth & Environment journal. Titled “A collaborative research agenda for restoring free-flowing rivers”, it addresses the urgent need to restore Europe’s degraded river systems. The research focuses on the European Union’s (EU) goal of restoring 25,000 km of free-flowing rivers by 2030, emphasising that effective restoration requires context-specific strategies that integrate ecological, social, economic and political dimensions.
The study employs a robust, multi-step methodology based on a modified Delphi approach, combining an international expert survey (237 participants from 45 countries), a collaborative workshop and a structured ranking process supported by statistical analysis. This led to the identification of 27 research priorities, revealing that the main barrier to success is not a lack of ecological knowledge, but rather implementation obstacles - particularly policy misalignment, limited stakeholder engagement and insufficient integration across scientific disciplines.
The findings underscore that restoring free-flowing rivers requires transformative, interdisciplinary approaches supported by strong governance, stakeholder participation and adaptive multi-level coordination. Consequently, a practical roadmap aligned with policy frameworks such as the Nature Restoration Regulation and the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 is proposed. Key takeaways highlight the need for improved collaboration, better alignment between policies, local action and increased societal engagement to achieve sustainable river restoration across Europe.
The full article can be found here and in the BioAgora publications library. More information on the project’s efforts in the context of river restoration can be found in the dedicated space for its Freshwater Knowledge Exchange Network.