LIFE allowing rivers to flow freely and cleanly again

Rivers play a vital part in all our lives, whether we realise it or not. It is why the European Union wants to restore more than 25 000 km of rivers to a healthy, free-flowing state by 2030. The LIFE programme has been supporting work to restore many of these vital waterways.

One project in Croatia, for example, has transformed sections of the Drava River, a major tributary to the mighty Danube River as it winds its way from Germany towards the Black Sea. The DRAVA LIFE project restored and created 9 km of side channels to reconnect the river with its flood plain. It also excavated more than 150 000 m³ of sediment – about the same as 60 Olympic swimming pools – to improve the condition of the riverbed.

The actions of the project have reduced erosion along the length of the river while also restoring 320 hectares of floodplain habitat, giving water somewhere to go during heavy rainfall, which is becoming more common due to climate change. This not only helps to reduce the risk of flooding in towns and cities downstream, but has improved the habitat for wildlife along the river.

‘Monitoring confirmed the return and successful breeding of several target species, including the little tern, sand martin, European pond turtle and Danube crested newt, while restored habitats now support several bird species,’ says Igor Tošić, project manager at Hrvatske Vode, the water management service in Croatia, which coordinated the DRAVA LIFE project.

Strengthening ecosystems

Intensive modification of the Drava’s course and side channels over the past century combined with sediment extraction and upstream hydropower development dramatically reduced the surrounding floodplain and the natural habitats the river supported. 

The DRAVA LIFE project not only reconnected many of the side channels but removed obsolete bank reinforcements. It also created new gravel and sand habitats by removing sediment.

In December the project was recognised with two awards at the Project Management Awards 2025 in Croatia.

‘DRAVA LIFE demonstrates how large-scale river restoration can strengthen biodiversity, flood protection, climate resilience and Natura 2000 implementation at the same time,’ says Tošić. ‘Rivers like the Drava remind us that restoration is not only about nature and flood protection; it is also about restoring the connection between people and natural processes. When we give space back to the river, we strengthen both ecosystems and communities.’

We are highlighting the work of the DRAVA LIFE project to coincide with World Water Day 2026, held each year on 22 March to draw attention to the vital importance of fresh water and the growing pressure facing Europe’s water resources. 

Against this backdrop, the European Union has made restoring the health of Europe’s rivers a key priority under  its Biodiversity Strategy for 2030. This ambition responds to an urgent reality: around a fifth of Europe’s rivers are currently in poor or bad ecological condition, largely due to pollution and human activities that alter natural water flows.

The LIFE programme plays a central role in addressing these challenges. Since 2014 it has funded more than 250 projects tackling water problems, with over €450 million of EU contribution. This collective effort also provides a platform for knowledge sharing. Last autumn, for example, 39 projects involved in river restoration and water management gathered in Brussels for a LIFE Platform meeting on water resilience strategy, highlighting both progress made and lessons learned. 

One of the project represented was LIFE Rich Waters, an integrated project in Sweden that improved the aquatic environment in the Northern Baltic Sea River Basin District. Home to more than 3.6 million people, including Sweden’s capital, Stockholm, the area is dominated by Lake Mälaren and several large rivers alongside more than 1 300 lakes, streams and coastal waters. These ecosystems have long been under pressure from agricultural run-off and physical alterations, making targeted restoration efforts both necessary and impactful.  

Water parks and wildlife corridors as spawning areas

The LIFE Rich Waters team helped to support and speed up the implementation of measures that were part of the River Basin Management Plan for the area. The project’s integrated approach was implemented across more than 1 000 water bodies and involved multiple municipalities and funding sources. It combined policy measures, on-the-ground interventions and capacity building to address eutrophication, connectivity and pollution at river basin scale.

Among the measures implemented were creating three water parks in Uppsala, Västerås and Smedjebacken, where the reeds and other plants help to purify water as it passes through the ponds there. Several new passages for wildlife were also created to help them travel past urban areas and hydroelectric developments. 

This has made 28.5 hectares of spawning area available for fish and other aquatic animals in the Rällsälven and Hedströmmen rivers. Norrviken lake in Stockholm also saw the amount of phosphorus it contained reduced, and its nutrient status has improved thanks to a water treatment using aluminium.

‘The amount of phytoplankton has decreased, the water has become much clearer, and the depth of visibility has improved,’ says Anna Andersson Ax, business developer for Västmanland County Administrative Board, which coordinated the project. ‘The project reduced the load of nutrients, environmental pollutants and the number of barriers for fish in several lakes and streams.’

The DRAVA LIFE and LIFE Rich Waters projects both contribute to the European Water Resilience Strategy, the Nature Restoration Regulation, Biodiversity Strategy 2030, and the EU Directives on water, habitats and birds.