From Britain to the Czech Republic, European nations have been restoring rivers to their natural state — taking down dams, removing levees, and reviving floodplains. For a continent that long viewed rivers as little more than shipping canals and sewers, it is a striking change.

by fred pearce

Following our Final conference Fred Pearce a key note speak has published his thoughts: http://e360.yale.edu/feature/a_successful_push_to_restore_europes_long-abused_rivers/2718/

Would you like your views to be part of the RESTORE findings? please spend 5 minutes giving us some feedback: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/DG7NVQM

Deliverables from the REFORM project: http://bit.ly/1eLW4Jm  including

• Measuring success of river restoration actions using end-points and benchmarking
• Hydromoprhology of European Rivers
• Impacts of hydromorphological degradation and disturbed sediment dynamics on ecological status
• Synthesis of interim results for practical application to support the compilation of the 2nd RBMPs
• Valuing the ecosystem services provided by European river corridors – an analytical framework
• Review on ecological response to hydromorphological degradation and restoration
• Review on pressure effects on hydromorphological variables and ecologically relevant processes
• Discussion Paper for Stakeholder Workshop on River Restoration to Support Effective Catchment Management
• Summary report REFORM stakeholder workshop
• Review on eco-hydromorphological methods

One in seven UK rivers currently have unsustainable amounts of water abstracted from them and  are now facing a 50% increase in abstraction if the Water Bill 2013-14 is passed.The bill is having its second reading in parliament today and modifications to abstraction licenses, main river maps and flood insurance for householders will be debated.

Read a message from our Project Manager, find out what happens next to RESTORE  and read a final roundup of news from around Europe. Read our final bulletin here