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Record dam removals restore EU rivers

In%20a%20comprehensive%20ecological%20intervention%2C%20China%20has%20claimed%20to%20dismantle%20300%20dams%20and%20decommission%20more%20than%2090%20percent%20of%20small%20hydropower%20stations%20along%20the%20Chishui%20River%2C%20also%20known%20as%20the%20Red%20River%2C%20a%20key%20tributary%20of%20the%20upper%20Yangtze.%20%0A%0AThe%20move%20is%20seen%20as%20one%20of%20the%20largest%20state-led%20efforts%20to%20restore%20aquatic%20biodiversity%20in%20Asia%E2%80%99s%20longest%20river%2C%20reversing%20decades%20of%20hydro-infrastructure%20development%20that%20critically%20endangered%20native%20fish%20species%2C%20including%20the%20Yangtze%20sturgeon%2C%20the%20South%20China%20Morning%20Post%20reported.%0A%0A%3Cb%3E342%20hydro%20plants%2C%20300%20dams%20removed%3C%2Fb%3E%0A%0AThe%20Chishui%20River%2C%20which%20flows%20over%20400%20kilometers%20through%20the%20provinces%20of%20Yunnan%2C%20Guizhou%2C%20and%20Sichuan%2C%20has%20long%20been%20considered%20a%20final%20sanctuary%20for%20rare%20and%20endemic%20fish%20species%20in%20the%20upper%20Yangtze.%20%0A%0AOnce%20fragmented%20by%20a%20dense%20lattice%20of%20dams%20and%20power%20stations%2C%20its%20waters%20now%20run%20more%20freely%20following%20large-scale%20demolitions%20that%20began%20in%202020.%0A%0ABy%20the%20end%20of%202024%2C%20300%20out%20of%20357%20dams%20had%20been%20removed%2C%20and%20342%20of%20373%20small%20hydropower%20stations%20were%20shut%20down%2C%20according%20to%20a%20report%20by%20China%E2%80%99s%20state-run%20Xinhua%20News%20Agency.%20%0A%0AThe%20dismantling%20has%20restored%20natural%20water%20flow%2C%20reconnected%20fragmented%20habitats%2C%20and%20reopened%20migratory%20routes%20critical%20for%20fish%20reproduction.%0A%0A%E2%80%9CThis%20achievement%20indicates%20that%20the%20current%20ecological%20environment%20of%20the%20Red%20River%20can%20now%20meet%20the%20habitat%20and%20reproductive%20needs%20of%20Yangtze%20sturgeon%2C%E2%80%9D%20said%20Liu%20Fei%2C%20a%20researcher%20with%20the%20Chinese%20Academy%20of%20Sciences%E2%80%99%20Institute%20of%20Hydrobiology%20in%20Wuhan.%0A%0AThe%20Yangtze%20sturgeon%2C%20declared%20extinct%20in%20the%20wild%20by%20the%20International%20Union%20for%20Conservation%20of%20Nature%20(IUCN)%20in%202022%2C%20has%20shown%20signs%20of%20recovery.%20%0A%0ALiu%E2%80%99s%20team%20released%20two%20batches%20of%20hatchery-bred%20sturgeon%20into%20the%20Red%20River%20in%202023%20and%202024.%20In%20April%202025%2C%2020%20adult%20fish%20were%20released%20into%20Guizhou%E2%80%99s%20section%20of%20the%20river%20to%20test%20whether%20they%20could%20reproduce%20naturally%20in%20the%20restored%20habitat.%20%0A%0ABy%20mid-April%2C%20researchers%20confirmed%20spawning%20behavior%20and%20the%20successful%20hatching%20of%20fry%2C%20an%20unprecedented%20event%20since%202000.%0A%0A%3Cb%3E4%2C000-mile%20Yangtze%20River%3C%2Fb%3E%0A%0AFor%20decades%2C%20fish%20populations%20in%20the%20Yangtze%20Basin%20have%20been%20decimated%20by%20human%20interventions.%20%0A%0AHydropower%20stations%20changed%20water%20flows%2C%20reduced%20oxygen%20levels%2C%20and%20severed%20vital%20connections%20between%20spawning%20and%20feeding%20grounds.%20%0A%0AProfessor%20Zhou%20Jianjun%2C%20a%20hydraulic%20engineering%20expert%20at%20Tsinghua%20University%2C%20said%20that%20decommissioning%20does%20not%20always%20require%20full%20demolition.%20%E2%80%9CThe%20key%20is%20not%20whether%20the%20facilities%20still%20exist%2C%20but%20that%2C%20after%20power%20generation%20stops%2C%20the%20water%20control%20method%20can%20be%20changed%20to%20meet%20ecological%20needs.%E2%80%9D%0A%0AChina%E2%80%99s%20broader%20riverine%20restoration%20strategy%20extends%20beyond%20dam%20removals.%20A%20decade-long%20fishing%20ban%20introduced%20in%202020%2C%20restrictions%20on%20sand%20mining%2C%20and%20strict%20regulation%20of%20new%20infrastructure%20projects%20have%20all%20contributed%20to%20measurable%20gains%20in%20biodiversity%20and%20water%20quality.%20%0A%0AIn%20Sichuan%20province%20alone%2C%20authorities%20rectified%205%2C131%20hydropower%20stations%20by%20the%20end%20of%202021%2C%20shutting%20down%201%2C223%20of%20them.%0A%0ABeijing%E2%80%99s%202023%20biodiversity%20communique%20reported%20sustained%20improvement%20in%20aquatic%20ecosystems%20along%20the%20Yangtze%20and%20its%20tributaries.%20%0A%0APopulations%20of%20fish%2C%20invertebrates%2C%20and%20amphibians%20have%20begun%20to%20recover.%20Water%20quality%20assessments%20rate%20most%20river%20sections%20as%20%E2%80%9Cexcellent%2C%E2%80%9D%20and%20sand%20mining%20intensity%20has%20sharply%20declined.%0A%0AThe%20Yangtze%20sturgeon%20is%20struggling%20to%20survive%2C%20but%20new%20efforts%20on%20the%20Chishui%20River%20offer%20a%20plan%20for%20restoring%20balance%20in%20rivers%20that%20have%20been%20heavily%20developed.

300 dams demolished in historic river project

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had%20begun.%20Russia%E2%80%99s%20state-run%20news%20agency%20Tass%20cited%20emergency%20services%20saying%2080%20settlements%20could%20be%20affected.%0A%0AA%20Russian%20military%20blogger%2C%20Rybar%2C%20said%2011%20out%20of%2028%20spans%20in%20the%20dam%20were%20destroyed%20after%20explosions%20at%202am%2C%20though%20this%20could%20not%20immediately%20be%20verified.%20Another%20blogger%20said%20there%20were%20no%20reported%20missile%20attacks%20on%20the%20dam%20prior%20to%20the%20breach%2C%20while%20videos%20circulated%20on%20Russian%20channels%20were%20said%20to%20be%20of%20civilians%20evacuating.%0A%0AVladimir%20Leontiev%2C%20the%20head%20of%20the%20Russian-occupied%20administration%20of%20Nova%20Kakhovka%20city%2C%20on%20the%20southern%20bank%20of%20the%20Dnipro%2C%20initially%20denied%20the%20dam%20had%20been%20blown%20up%2C%20according%20to%20the%20Ria%20Novosti%20news%20agency%2C%20but%20he%20was%20later%20reported%20to%20confirm%20there%20was%20%E2%80%9Cdamage%E2%80%9D%20and%20blame%20it%20on%20shelling.%0A%0AInterfax%20quoted%20an%20unnamed%20representative%20from%20regional%20emergency%20services%20as%20saying%20the%20collapse%20was%20the%20result%20of%20a%20catastrophic%20structural%20failure.%20%E2%80%9CThe%20dam%20could%20not%20stand%20it%3A%20one%20support%20collapsed%2C%20and%20flooding%20began%2C%E2%80%9D%20the%20representative%20said%2C%20adding%20that%20there%20were%20no%20attacks%20on%20the%20hydroelectric%20power%20station%20overnight.%0A%0ADavid%20Helms%2C%20a%20former%20US%20air%20force%20and%20National%20Oceanic%20and%20Atmospheric%20Administration%20meteorologist%20who%20has%20monitored%20the%20dam%2C%20said%20on%20Twitter%3A%20%E2%80%9CThe%20Russians%20allowed%20the%20reservoir%20to%20fill%20to%20record%20levels%3B%20if%20the%20dam%20failed%20%E2%80%98naturally%E2%80%99%2C%20it%20certainly%20failed%20due%20to%206%20weeks%20of%20over-topping%20and%20stress%20on%20the%20structure.%E2%80%9D%0A%0AThe%20areas%20most%20under%20threat%20from%20flooding%20are%20the%20islands%20along%20the%20course%20of%20the%20Dnipro%20downstream%20of%20Nova%20Kakhovka%20and%20much%20of%20the%20Russian-held%20left%20bank%20in%20southern%20Kherson.%20Earlier%20modelling%20of%20such%20a%20disaster%20suggested%20Kherson%20city%20would%20not%20bear%20the%20brunt%2C%20but%20the%20harbour%2C%20the%20docklands%20and%20an%20island%20in%20the%20south%20of%20the%20city%20are%20likely%20to%20be%20inundated.%20It%20is%20unclear%20how%20many%20people%20could%20lose%20their%20homes.%0A%0AThere%20could%20be%20two%20further%20serious%20side-effects%3A%20the%20Zaporizhzhia%20nuclear%20power%20plant%20upstream%20could%20lose%20access%20to%20water%20for%20cooling%20as%20the%20reservoir%20drains%20away%2C%20and%20the%20water%20supply%20to%20Crimea%20could%20also%20be%20severely%20affected.%0A%0AFour%20of%20the%20six%20reactors%20at%20the%20nuclear%20plant%20are%20completely%20shut%20down%2C%20and%20two%20are%20on%20%E2%80%9Chot%20shutdown%E2%80%9D%2C%20producing%20a%20small%20amount%20of%20energy%20for%20the%20plant%20itself%20and%20the%20neighbouring%20town.%20The%20International%20Atomic%20Energy%20Agency%20said%20in%20a%20tweet%20its%20experts%20at%20the%20plant%20were%20monitoring%20the%20situation.%20It%20said%20there%20was%20%E2%80%9Cno%20immediate%20nuclear%20safety%20risk%20at%20plant%E2%80%9D.

Dam explosion deluges Russian-occupied Ukraine

Raw%20sewage%20pumped%20into%20Britain%E2%80%99s%20rivers%20and%20coastal%20waters%20by%20water%20companies%20has%20increased%20dramatically%20over%20the%20past%20year%2C%20disturbing%20analysis%20shows.%0A%0ACampaigners%20have%20condemned%20the%20rise%20of%20recorded%20discharges%20by%2087.6%20per%20cent%20as%20%E2%80%9Csystematic%20abuse%E2%80%9D%20of%20waterways%20and%20seas%20by%20companies%20which%20have%20%E2%80%9Cincreased%20profits%20whilst%20causing%20catastrophic%20damage%20to%20river%20and%20coastal%20ecosystems%E2%80%9D.%0A%0ASouthern%20Water%20is%20named%20%E2%80%9Cby%20far%20the%20biggest%20culprit%20amongst%20water%20companies%E2%80%9D%20in%20the%20report%20after%20the%20company%20issued%201%2C949%20sewage%20discharge%20notifications%20from%20a%20total%20of%205%2C517%20around%20Britain%20%E2%80%93%20accounting%20for%2035%20per%20cent%20of%20all%20incidents%20from%20nine%20water%20companies.%0A%0AThe%20report%2C%20by%20Surfers%20Against%20Sewage%2C%20also%20suggests%20these%20could%20be%20%E2%80%9Cconservative%20estimates%E2%80%9D%2C%20as%20some%20of%20the%20companies%20only%20provided%20data%20during%20the%20bathing%20season%20and%20only%20for%20coastal%20waters.%0A%0AThe%20analysis%20notes%20that%20the%20rise%20is%20partly%20attributable%20to%20some%20companies%20increasing%20the%20number%20of%20sites%20where%20they%20were%20monitoring%20sewage%20discharges%20but%20it%20says%20this%20couldn%E2%80%99t%20account%20for%20the%20bulk%20of%20the%20increase%20and%20the%20authors%20suggest%20overburdened%20and%20poorly%20maintained%20infrastructure%20is%20a%20critical%20issue.%0A%0AHugo%20Tagholm%2C%20chief%20executive%20of%20the%20campaign%20group%2C%20told%20The%20Independent%3A%20%E2%80%9CThe%20water%20companies%20are%20presiding%20over%20a%20new%20wave%20of%20sewage%20pollution%2C%20both%20on%20our%20coastline%20and%20in%20our%20rivers.%0A%0APeople%20are%20concerned%20and%20outraged%20by%20the%20age%20old%20story%20of%20a%20monopoly%20of%20companies%20making%20a%20huge%20amount%20of%20money%2C%20paying%20CEOs%20vast%20bonuses%2C%20paying%20dividends%20out%20to%20shareholders%20around%20the%20world%2C%20meanwhile%20neglecting%20to%20protect%20the%20environment%20we%20all%20rely%20on.%0A%0A%E2%80%9CSouthern%20Water%20are%20far%20and%20away%20the%20worst%20offender%20when%20it%20comes%20to%20discharges%20but%20the%20water%20companies%20are%20giving%20us%20more%20information%2C%20so%20part%20of%20the%20increase%20is%20down%20to%20having%20more%20information.%0A%0A%22But%20it%E2%80%99s%20also%20driven%20by%20other%20factors%2C%20including%20insufficient%20capacity%2C%20badly%20managed%20assets%20and%20new%20developments%20potentially%20putting%20more%20pressure%20on%20the%20water%20system.%E2%80%9D%0A%0AAccording%20to%20the%20report%2C%20Southern%20Water%20now%20has%2051%20locations%20on%20which%20it%20reports%2C%20up%20from%2029%20during%202019%20and%202020.%20In%202019%2C%20it%20issued%20690%20sewage%20discharges.%20This%20went%20down%20in%202020%20to%2078%20recorded%20discharges%20due%20to%20the%20company%E2%80%99s%20own%20technical%20problems.%20Already%20in%202021%2C%201%2C949%20releases%20have%20occurred.%0A%0AThe%20grim%20assessment%20comes%20less%20than%20a%20month%20after%20outrage%20at%20the%20failure%20of%20MPs%20to%20vote%20in%20favour%20of%20placing%20a%20legal%20duty%20on%20water%20companies%20not%20to%20pump%20untreated%20sewage%20into%20watercourses.%0A%0AThe%20row%20resulted%20in%20a%20compromise%20in%20which%20a%20new%20%E2%80%9Clegal%20duty%E2%80%9D%20would%20ensure%20firms%20%E2%80%9Csecure%20a%20progressive%20reduction%20in%20the%20adverse%20impacts%20of%20sewage%20discharges%E2%80%9D%20from%20storm%20overflows.%0A%0AThe%20impact%20on%20the%20environment%20from%20pouring%20sewage%20into%20waterways%20is%20severe%2C%20experts%20have%20warned.%0A%0ADr%20Christian%20Dunn%2C%20senior%20lecturer%20in%20natural%20sciences%20at%20Bangor%20University%2C%20said%3A%20%E2%80%9CUntreated%20sewage%20can%20be%20a%20death%20potion%20to%20our%20rivers%20and%20waterways.%20It%20is%20a%20cocktail%20of%20harmful%20viruses%2C%20bacteria%20and%20chemicals.%20Some%20of%20these%20can%20directly%20harm%20aquatic%20life%20and%20others%20lead%20to%20devastating%20disruptions%20in%20the%20oxygen%20levels%20of%20the%20water%20%E2%80%93%20risking%20entire%20ecosystems.%0A%0A%E2%80%9CRivers%20are%20essential%20for%20the%20health%20of%20entire%20landscapes%2C%20our%20wildlife%20depends%20on%20them%20and%20there%E2%80%99s%20no%20surer%20way%20to%20destroy%20a%20river%20than%20flooding%20it%20with%20sewage.%E2%80%9D%0A%0ADr%20Toby%20Willison%2C%20director%20of%20environment%20and%20corporate%20affairs%20at%20Southern%20Water%20told%20The%20Independent%20the%20company%20recognised%20it%20had%20to%20do%20better.%0A%0AHe%20said%3A%20%E2%80%9CWe%20share%20the%20passion%20and%20commitment%20of%20Surfers%20Against%20Sewage%E2%80%99s%20to%20protect%20our%20precious%20coastal%20water%20and%20the%20700%20miles%20of%20coa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Sustainability news on rivers