A record number of dams, weirs, culverts, and sluices were dismantled across Europe last year, marking a significant step in efforts to restore rivers and help wildlife thrive. According to a new analysis from Dam Removal Europe, 602 barriers were removed in 2025, an 11% increase from the previous year, reconnecting 2,324 miles (3,740 km) of waterways.
Iceland Joins the Movement
In western Iceland, a dilapidated dam on the River Melsá was removed in December, marking the first official dam removal in the country. The structure, which once powered a farm, had fallen into disrepair and blocked fish migration. Hamish Moir, a river engineer from the Scottish firm CBEC that provided technical support, described the restoration as “really rewarding.”
Leading Countries
Sweden led Europe with 173 barrier removals, followed by Finland (143) and Spain (109). The United Kingdom removed 35 barriers. North Macedonia also took down barriers for the first time, including on the Kriva and Pčinja rivers. In Norway, a 6-metre-high obsolete dam on the Vinstra River was dynamited.
EU Restoration Goals
The removals bring the European Union closer to its target of restoring 15,500 miles (25,000 km) of rivers to a natural state by 2030. Chris Baker, director of the European branch of Wetlands International, noted that for centuries rivers were fragmented for economic gain, but the ecological price has been enormous.
Environmental Benefits and Risks
Damming disrupts ecosystems and has contributed to a 75% decline in freshwater migratory fish populations since 1970. However, researchers caution that barrier removal can also allow invasive species to spread. Ellen Donovan, a biologist at Queen’s University Belfast, emphasised that careful preparation and monitoring can minimise these risks.
Over a million barriers fragment Europe’s waterways, many of which are obsolete. The EU’s nature restoration law, effective from 2024, explicitly calls for their removal. In the US, 100 dams were dismantled last year, and China has removed hundreds of dams on the Yangtze River in recent years.
