Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
centre providing advisory services that were not
available elsewhere. The increase in published
literature, improved knowledge resulting from the
demonstration work and easier access to UK and
European funds for river restoration generated
a far greater interest in river restoration at this
time. The main limiting factor was availability
of expertise and experience to take advantage of
these new opportunities. The RRC had four main
objectives: (i) set up a network of subscribers and
keep them informed of restoration developments;
(ii) provide direct advice and guidance; (iii)
support projects advancing knowledge and
understanding of restoration techniques and
benefits; and (iv) promote the benefits of
river restoration through visits, presentations,
documentation and other means (RRC, 1997).
These objectives were instrumental in shifting
traditional, institutionalized mindsets from single
to
multi-million euro river restoration projects
through the LIFE (L'Instrument Financier pour
l'Environnement) programme. The RRP-Danish
LIFE project concluded that the greatest benefit
from the demonstration work would be derived
by sharing this and other knowledge on river
restoration (Holmes and Nielsen, 1996). Forming
an international 'information-sharing community'
was one of the LIFE project outputs, with an
early initiative a conference on the 'physical
dimension' of river restoration in Denmark in
1995. This conference was organized by the
National Environment Research Institute (NERI), a
partner in the LIFE project and host for the ECRR
in its early years (NERI, 1997); the proceedings
were published as a special edition of
Aquatic
Conservation
in 1998 (Hansen
et al
., 1998).
An 'informal' ECRR existed during 1995-1999
by courtesy of a few dedicated individuals
supported by their institutions - a pattern
repeated for subsequent national and international
river restoration centres. In 1999 the official
constitutional meeting of the ECRR was held
in Silkeborg, Denmark, with 55 participants
representing 22 European countries. A
management board was set up and the first
formal steps towards a European network on river
restoration were taken.
The ECRR is 'a European network based on
a framework of national networks (national
centres for river restoration) whose mission is
to enhance and promote river restoration and
sustainable river management throughout Europe,
disseminating information on river restoration
experiences and approaches, and fostering
the establishment of national river restoration
networks in as many European countries as
possible' (http://www.ecrr.org). It acts as an
international 'network of networks', and promotes
river restoration through publications, newsletters,
international conferences, thematic workshops
and field trips (http://www.ecrr.org/ecrr-past-
activities.html). The aim of the ECRR is to
support the development of river restoration as
an integral part of sustainable water management
throughout Europe by: (i) improving confidence
in implementing river restoration; (ii) increasing
multiple-objective
restoration,
founded
on
ecological principles and outcomes.
Since its formation the RRC has been the
UK focus for developments in understanding
river management and restoration. By 2010 the
three core activities were knowledge exchange;
advice and assessment; and promoting, facilitating
and supporting best practice for watercourse
and floodplain management. The recent emphasis
on 'ecosystem goods and services', ecosystem
assessment and reversing the decline in biodiversity
have shifted the international political perspective
towards a truly integrated catchment approach
to river management (Mant and Janes, 2005;
Everard, this volume). River restoration is now a far
more commonly used and understood term, so the
emphasis of the RRC is now less on explaining the
rationale and more about providing practical advice
and support for its implementation (RRC, 2010).
Development of the European
Centre for River Restoration
(ECRR)
For more than 20 years, the European Union
has acknowledged the benefits of restoring
rivers and their floodplains by funding several
