An international research team led by Senckenberg scientist Prof. Dr. Peter Haase has evaluated global biodiversity protection measures in rivers. Their study in “Nature Reviews Biodiversity” reveals that many protection and renaturation efforts achieve only limited success. Sustainable protection of river ecosystems requires holistic, transnational measures involving various social groups.
Rivers are vital planetary lifelines that have attracted human settlement for thousands of years, providing drinking water, energy, food, transportation, and recreation. However, human activities have significantly damaged biodiversity in about 50% of the world’s rivers. Affected areas include densely populated regions in East Asia, Europe, North America, and arid and tropical regions. Contributors to river degradation include wastewater discharge, agricultural chemicals, water extraction, channelization, and invasive species. Many countries have implemented laws to reduce river pollution and protect ecosystems, such as the Clean Water Act, European Water Framework Directive, and Kunming-Montreal Convention. Despite these efforts, Haase’s team found that protection measures often fail to compensate for river strain. River biodiversity loss exceeds that in terrestrial or marine ecosystems, with 88% of river megafauna threatened with extinction.
The researchers evaluated 7,195 projects across 26 global regions, finding that most conservation measures achieved minor or no biodiversity improvements. Their analysis covered nine categories of conservation approaches, including habitat restoration, pollution reduction, and invasive species control. The researchers conclude that individual measures aren’t necessarily ineffective, but comprehensive approaches addressing multiple stress factors simultaneously are lacking.
The study advocates for river basin-wide planning incorporating ecological and social aspects, continuous monitoring of conservation effectiveness, and involvement of all relevant stakeholders. “Coproduction”- joint development of solutions by researchers, policymakers, Indigenous communities, and local groups – is identified as key to successful river biodiversity protection.
