By Paul Brotherton

As part of a training course on river restoration sponsored by the RESTORE project, I recently visited the Waal River, a main branch of the Rhine River, flowing through the Netherlands. Here the Dutch are making ‘Room for the River’, restoring floodplains to reduce the risks of floods and creating benefits for people and nature. On the heels of recent catastrophic floods in Central Europe, this approach deserves a closer look if Europe is to meet many of its growing environmental and social policy challenges, including climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction.

 The LIFE+ RII project (LIFE11 ENV/IT/000243 “Riqualificazione integrata idraulico-ambientale dei RII appartenenti alla fascia pedemontana dell’Emilia Romagna”) has start its activities.

The question of whether or not the UK should remain in Europe is currently vexing the nation. But in an article in The Guardian Tony Juniper, argues that PM Cameron's EU speech on the issue indicated there might be disastrous consequences for the environment if we opt out.

The European Commission recently released its Blueprint to Safeguard Europe's Water Resources, outlining proposals to ensure better implementation of the EU’s water policy objectives. Several initiatives recognise the benefits of river restoration to improve the ecological status of Europe’s waters.

The Blueprint includes proposals on natural water retention, ecological flows and water accounts, and encourages restoration measures in the River Basin Management Plans and Flood Risk Management Plans submitted by Member States.

View the Blueprint submission by RESTORE and partners: http://www.restorerivers.eu/Publications/tabid/2624/mod/11083/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/3297/Default.aspx

View the Blueprint: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/water/blueprint/index_en.htm