The Article “Europe is demolishing its dams to restore ecosystems”, which is published in the Nature Journal and written by Quirin Schiermeier is about the effort and effects of dam-removal, especially in Europe. Most scientists welcome the dam-removal trend but some call for research into potential ill effects. Hundreds of thousands of dams and weirs, most small and many no longer in use, fragment Europe’s rivers. The structures, some of them thousands of years old, have provided irrigation, energy and other benefits. But their presence also threatens the habitats of endemic fish and wildlife. Across much of Europe, rivers unfettered by artificial barriers are exceedingly rare. However, over the past 20–25 years, at least 5,000 small dams, weirs and culverts have been removed from rivers in France, Sweden, Finland, Spain and the United Kingdom, according to Dam Removal Europe. But restoration projects need to be monitored for negative effects, too, experts say. Decommissioning existing river barriers might mobilize toxic sediment, or affect buildings or bridges downstream. And existing dams could help prevent the spread of invasive species. But while old barriers are being removed, new dams are built elsewhere. Some 2,800 hydropower plants are currently being planned across the Balkans.
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