Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
knowledge on river restoration schemes and
techniques; (iii) facilitating improved exchange
of information from river restoration work
worldwide; (iv) improving the quantification of the
benefits from river restoration projects by applying
better evaluation techniques; and (v) encouraging
and facilitating the setting up of national river
restoration centres across Europe. This work is
channelled through relevant national institutions
that act as contact points on river restoration.
Contacts can be nominated national centres for
river restoration (non-governmental organizations
(NGOs) or similar associations), or simply
coordinated networks of individuals. Most of
these contacts are represented on the management
board of the ECRR. The ECRR depends on 'host'
institutions that act as a secretariat for coordinating
activities. The role of secretariat has been held,
in turn, by NERI (Denmark), the Institute for
Inland Water Management and Waste Water
Treatment (RWS-RIZA, The Netherlands), the
Italian Centre for River Restoration (CIRF, Italy)
and the Dutch Government Service for Land and
Water Management (The Netherlands). The ECRR
network currently also includes more than 300
individual members, comprising organizations and
individuals from all over the world. The ECRR
functions as a result of activities by the constituent
individuals and organizations.
National river restoration
centres in Europe
By the end of 2009 there were nine national
European river restoration centres/networks with
active websites (http://www.ecrr.org/partners-
ecrr.html) (Table 23.1). In 2010 a further six
national centres started linking up with the
ECRR, and this expansion is likely to continue
in future. About a third of European countries
still do not have dedicated 'centres', but several
have institutions that act as contact points for
the exchange of knowledge. Roles, activities
and funding for individual European centres
vary considerably. For example, the CIRF in
Italy is a 'not-for-profit' technical-scientific
association, created in 1999 by a group of people
with very different backgrounds, to promote
the culture of river restoration. Its goals are
similar to those of the RRC and ECRR and it
is
funded
primarily
through
membership
fees,
income
from
technical
advice
provided
to
Table 23.1
River restoration centres and networks in Europe at the end of 2009.
Country
Centre/network
Web-site
Belgium
University of Antwerp, Ecosystem Management
Research Group (ECOBE)
http://www.ua.ac.be/main.aspx?c
=
*
ECOBE
Denmark
Danish Centre for River Restoration (Dansk Center for
Vandløbsrestaurering - DCVR)
http://www2.dmu.dk/1_Om_DMU/2_tvaer-
funk/3_vlres/default_en.asp
Finland
Environment Institute (SYKE)
http://www.environment.fi/
Italy
Italian Centre for River Restoration (Centro Italiano per
la Rqualificazione Fluviale - CIRF)
http://www.cirf.org/php/inglese/home.htm
Netherlands
Netherlands Centre for River Studies (NCR)
http://www.ncr-web.org/
Romania
Romanian River Restoration Centre (RRRC)
http://www.rowater.ro/sites/en/default.aspx
Russia
Russian Institute for Integrated Water Management
and Protection (RosNIIVH)
http://www.wrm.ru/about_eng.php
Spain & Portugal
Iberian Centre for River Restoration (Centro Ib erico de
Restauraci on Fluvial - CIREF)
http://www.cirefluvial.com/en/
United Kingdom
The River Restoration Centre (RRC)
http://www.therrc.co.uk/
