Balkans lose 2,450 km of free-flowing rivers in just 13 years, new study warns

The Balkans, home to some of Europe’s last free-flowing rivers, have lost approximately 2,450 kilometers of natural and free-flowing river corridors in just 13 years, according to a new study conducted under the “Save the Blue Heart of Europe” campaign.

The findings reveal a 7% decline in natural rivers between 2012 and 2025, signaling a rapidly escalating threat to the region’s ecological heritage, freshwater biodiversity, and climate resilience.

Study Covers 11 Countries and More Than 83,000 km of Rivers
The study, completed in 2025 by environmental organizations Riverwatch and EuroNatur, analyzed 83,824 kilometers of rivers across 11 Balkan countries, including Greece. It follows a previous assessment conducted in 2012, allowing researchers to track long-term changes in river health and connectivity.

Beyond water quality and pollution levels, the report places strong emphasis on river connectivity—the ability of rivers to function as uninterrupted, living ecosystems.

“Across Europe, rivers are increasingly fragmented by barriers that break them into smaller, disconnected sections, preventing species movement and ecological communication,” explains Fanikos Sakellarákis, Water Program Coordinator at the Mediterranean Institute for Nature and Anthropos (MedINA), one of the campaign’s partners, speaking to the Athens-Macedonian News Agency.

Rising Fragmentation and Artificial Reservoirs
Between 2012 and 2025, not only did free-flowing river stretches decline sharply, but river sections converted into artificial reservoirs increased by 18%. Rivers in the study were classified into categories ranging from natural and slightly modified to extensively and heavily modified.

While many Balkan rivers still maintain relatively good ecological conditions compared to the rest of Europe, the overall trend is clearly negative.

Greece: Moderate Condition Compared to the Balkans
In Greece, approximately:

• 35% of rivers remain in natural condition
• 33% are slightly modified
• 22–23% are extensively or significantly modified

According to MedINA, more than 3,500 km of Greek river networks have been significantly altered, with the most heavily modified sections concentrated along major rivers such as the Aliakmonas and Acheloos. These heavily degraded segments account for about 4% of the total river network.

Despite these pressures, Greece ranks around the Balkan average, performing better than some neighboring countries like Albania, which has experienced major losses in river connectivity over the past decade. Countries such as Montenegro currently lead the region in terms of ecological river connectivity.

Hydropower and Climate Crisis: A Double Threat
Experts warn that rivers across the Balkans are now at the center of competing priorities: flood protection, energy production, and ecosystem conservation.

Climate change further intensifies these pressures by reducing river flows while simultaneously increasing the frequency and severity of flooding events.

“Free-flowing rivers and the protection of their floodplains are essential not only for biodiversity but also for safeguarding human communities and infrastructure,” Sakellarákis notes.

However, the study identifies small hydropower projects as one of the most critical threats. Across the Balkans:

• Over 1,800 hydropower plants are currently operational
• More than 3,000 additional projects are in various stages of licensing
• The Case of Greece: High Ecological Cost, Low Energy Gain

In Greece alone:

Around 120 small hydropower plants are already operating, mostly in areas of high ecological value, such as the Pindus mountain range

More than 500 additional projects are pending approval
Despite their environmental impact, these small hydropower facilities contribute only 1.6% of Greece’s total electricity production.

“No serious environmental scientist denies the need for renewable energy during a climate emergency,”
Sakellarákis emphasizes.

“But installing hydropower projects in ecologically intact rivers is not a rational solution.”

Call for New Spatial Planning and EU Nature Restoration Targets
The study highlights the urgent need for a new spatial planning framework for renewable energy, noting that Greece’s current framework dates back to 2008 and is considered outdated.

It also stresses the importance of implementing the EU Nature Restoration Regulation, adopted in August 2024, which requires member states to restore 25,000 kilometers of free-flowing rivers by 2030.

Greece’s Ministry of Environment and Energy is currently preparing a National Nature Restoration Plan, due to be submitted to the European Commission by September 2026, with contributions from scientific institutions such as MedINA.

The goal: identify priority river areas for restoration, protect high-value ecosystems, and prevent further fragmentation of Europe’s last wild rivers.

Source: Athens-Macedonian News Agency (AMNA)
Original reporting: paratiritis-news.gr