Supported Projects 2018

Last week we decided which projects the Free Rivers Fund will support in 2018. The choice fell on two very important and interesting projects which we can support with our budget. We want to thank all organisations which sent their application to us! Making the decision was not easy as we like every single project of yours!

The following text gives you a small introduction of the two organisations. We will give you more details about their projects after our Christmas break!

Marañón Waterkeeper

Marañón Waterkeeper is a community lead organisation that is working to protect the Marañón River, hydrological source of the Amazon. 20 mega dams planned along the Marañón would turn its 900km of whitewater into a series of stagnant reservoirs, block passage of 23 migratory fish species, and have massive impacts on the Amazon below.
Marañón Waterkeeper is creating conservation areas to block dams in critical areas, creating educational campaigns in local communities, and assisting community activists all for one purpose; to ensure the source of the Amazon continues to flow free, forever.

Center for Environment (CfE)

Center for Environment (CfE) is a non-profit, non-governmental and non-partisan association. Our work is mostly related to rivers in recent years, protecting them from hydropower projects and so far we have been successful in preserving Vrbas, Hrčavka and Sutjeska rivers.
Since we are running campaign against hydropower plants in Bosnia and Herzegovina in order to protect rivers and its biodiversity, in 2018 our focus will be on direct campaigning, supporting and legal assistance to the grassroots organizations and local activists, nature conservation, media promotion and popularization of our rivers for water sports.
Project for the protection of Ugar canyon is related to media promotion of Ugar canyon and increasing public awareness about the urgent need for its protection.
Two hydropower plants have been built on the river Ugar and one more on its tributary Ilomska. We were campaigning against those projects for a few years, but we didn’t succeed to stop it. They have negatively influenced the water level in the river and destroyed the riverbed. So far, the Ugar canyon has remained free of hydropower plant construction, but five new hydropower plants are planned, of which three are in the canyon. Those hydropower plants will cause enormous damage to this unique canyon and its rich wildlife and we consider this research and public promotion as a major step in terms of its protection.

Balkan Rivers Tour

Balkan Rivers Tour started from a crazy idea born in the head of Rok Rozman at the pub one late evening. Intention to expose the insane dam craze and attack of greed in the Balkans to the world, connect grass roots activists from the region and prove that nature conservation is anything but boring and reserved just for experts became real project in just 6 months. With 1.500 participants, 23 paddled rivers in 6 countries and 18 participating nations it was and still is the biggest river conservation project in Europe. But what is even more important – it is now spontaneously becoming a movement that is gaining publicity and reach trough one simple truth; saving rivers is rock’n’roll and paddling is so much better when you give it a purpose.

Save Our Rivers

Our free flowing rivers are some of the last undisturbed wild spaces in the country. They may cut a refuge for wildlife through areas of development or pass largely unnoticed through our scenic national parks, but there is a wave of development coming to these rivers which has unforeseen consequences.

After five years of campaigning we have called to account the thin plans to build in the Conwy, and planning permission and water abstraction have not been granted. But there are a great many other free flowing rivers in the UK, which remain under threat of irreversible development. ‘Save the Conwy’ has now become ‘Save Our Rivers’ and we have become a UK charity. We’re here to help and to encourage the scrutiny of these plans by local communities and all of us who love the outdoor life.

WET – Wildwasser erhalten Tirol

WET – Wildwasser Erhalten Tirol is committed to the preservation of the last undeveloped rivers and streams of the Tyrol region of Austria and aims to constantly improve the ecological state of Tyrolean waters.

WET is very critical of the expansion of hydropower in Tyrol and informs the affected population of its effects through information events and public relations work.

The members of the WET are very active in the campaign against the planned expansion of the Sellrain-Silz power plant group and have been achieving positive changes in the project as a part of the EIA procedure. The final goal – to stop the expansion of Sellrain-Silz and prevent water drainage from the Stubaital – is getting closer and closer.