Open Rivers! Fly Fishing and Conservation

Together with the fly fishing club Fario e.V. and Patagonia, the Living Rivers Foundation invited guests to a river film evening on Thursday, November 30, 2023.

Marlene Gautier from Patagonia welcomed the guests. After two short films about dam removal from Austria and the USA, Michael Bender from the Living Rivers Foundation gave an introduction on removing obstacles for migratory fish. This was followed by two fly fishing documentaries from Italy and Brandenburg, before Fario e.V. discussed its projects for river restoration and the reintroduction of sea trout and salmon in the Priegnitz (Dosse and Stepenitz).

The evening concluded with a documentary about the Balkan fly fishing river Una.

The invitation can be found here.

Online River Film Evening Open Rivers – Preserving and Restoring Vibrant Waters

on Friday, November 17, 2023.

As part of the Open Rivers project, the Living Rivers Foundation organized the second part of the cross-environmental association's Water Protection Forum 2023: Natural Water Management and Nature-Based Solutions – Thinking of the Landscape from the Perspective of Water, on Friday, November 17, which – as in the previous year – had an outstanding turnout. www.gewaesserschutzforum.de

The second part of the Water Protection Forum was under the theme: Open Rivers – Preserving and Restoring Vibrant Waters. After introductory words by Michael Bender from the Living Rivers Foundation, a film by the Austrian WWF: Dam Removal – More Space for Austria's Rivers and the TV report The Pegnitz becomes a "River Liberator Community" as a short film segment on dam removal followed. In the subsequent discussion, city councilor Susanne Bauer reported on the dam removal at the Pegnitz and Sigrun Lange, WWF, discussed the River Liberator competition and the river protection projects of the WWF office in Oberweilheim.

Following more short films, Antonio Rohrsen called for support of the Patagonia petition to stop bottom trawling in coastal areas. Theresa Schiller, WWF, talked about the international agenda for the protection of wetlands, rivers, and coasts.

Natural Water Management and Nature-Based Solutions – Thinking of the Landscape from the Perspective of Water

What is now widely discussed as the “Sponge City” concept in urban areas is still too seldom talked about regarding natural water retention in landscapes. In times of climate crisis, nature-based solutions, which offer ecological, social, and economic benefits and contribute to resilience at the landscape level, become necessary. However, such approaches have hardly been implemented on a large scale.

Aiming for a natural water balance is anchored as a goal in the German National Water Strategy, meaning strengthening water retention in ecosystems, mitigating the effects of floods and droughts, enhancing substance retention through wetlands, and utilizing cooling effects. What risks being overlooked in public discussion is the water needs of the ecosystems themselves. Without water, the functionality of the natural household cannot be guaranteed.

With the adoption of the National Water Strategy in March 2023, the federal government has set goals and measures for the coming years. A large part of these goals has already been included in the EU Water Framework Directive for 23 years. However, it has not yet been implemented. The situation regarding our water balance and the condition of our waters has partially worsened, especially due to the pronounced dry years since 2018.

More and more, the broad public debate is struggling with how we can ensure our water security despite the climate crisis and make the necessary changes in consumption patterns. The question arises as to which measures can sustainably help adapt to changed precipitation and temperature conditions and retain more water in the landscape.

For this, we want to discuss this year together with you and experts from science, water management, politics, and administration. To restore a healthy landscape water balance, which provides us with vital ecosystem services, nature-based solutions are needed.

The invitation can be found here.

The event will take place online. Please register at: https://www.nabu.de/gsf2023 by November 16, 2023, to attend the event.

The River Film Evening is supported by the European Open Rivers Programme.

Film- und Diskussionsabend im Rahmen des Oder-Festivals - ein Projekt von Global Water Dances

Ort: KuNaKu, Fliederweg 1, 16428 Oderberg

Film screening and discussion on the EU Nature Restoration Law in the European Parliament in Brussels
Film selection provided by Living Rivers Foundation
Program and tickets

Help us with your signature, write to your MEP and support the EU Nature Restoration Law: #restorenature

When: Wednesday 24th of May, 18:00 - 20:00

Where: European Parliament, Room: SPINELLI 5G1

As part of the #RestoreNature Campaign, together with MEP Cesar Luena, MEP Maria Soraya Rodriguez Ramos and MEP Jutta Paulus, we invite you to attend the documentary screening and discussion on the Nature Restoration Law

The EU Nature Restoration Law proposal represents a huge opportunity to tackle the biodiversity and climate crises. Nature Restoration brings immense benefits for our health, wellbeing, community, can be our biggest ally in addressing and adapting to the climate crisis and also secure sustainable food and livelihoods.

The #RestoreNature Campaign, created by Birdlife Europe, the European Environmental Bureau, WWF, ClientEarth and joined by more than 200 NGOs, has the overarching objective of reaching the adoption of a strong Nature Restoration Law by the end of 2023, by demonstrating the benefits of nature restoration.

In the light of the current discussion around the Nature Restoration Law, join us for an exchange on the role of restoration in Europe and the impact that this law could bring in the EU.

Agenda

• Opening remarks will be delivered by MEP César Luena, MEP María Soraya Rodríguez Ramos and MEP Jutta Paulus.

• There will be two sessions of documentary screening provided and introduced by Michael Bender from Living Rivers Foundation

• The each sessions will be followed by a panel discussion with:

Jutta Paulus, Member of the European Parliament (The Greens)

Kris Decleer, Co-founder and member of Board of Directors of the ‘Society for Ecological Restoration Europe’

Ariel Brunner, Regional Director of Birdlife Europe and Central Asia

Sommer Ackermann, Environmental activist and projector coordinator at Luontoliitto (The Finnish Nature Association)

Luisa Samarelli, Deputy Head of Unit – Nature conservation DG Environment, European Commission

Carolyn Jewell, Biodiversity and Natural Resources Senior Manager, Environmental Social Governance (ESG) AKA – Global head of biodiversity for Heidelberg Materials

• Closing remarks

Please note that the registration list for those who don't have a European Parliament badge has been closed.

Organised by

#RestoreNature Campaign

Movie evening: "Vjosa National Park – a new age of river protection?"

Thursday, November 03

7:30pm CET

Paneltalk & Movie Screening

In Albania and all around Europe citizens have raised their voices to protect Europe’s largest wild river—the Vjosa. This year Albania's government listened, and promised to establish a national park to protect the Vjosa forever.

We talk with Besjana Guri from EcoAlbania about the campaign success and the progress towards establishing the Vjosa National Park. Being a member of the national park working group in Albania we are excited to hear directly from her here in Berlin.

For additional impressions Matthias Leupold & Eric Berg present their short movie "In the Name of Vjosa". And Living Rivers Foundation shares insights on river conservation in Germany.

Details TBA 

This event will be held in English.

We have limited capacities - please sign up under this link: https://vjosanationalpark.splashthat.com.

Patagonia Berlin

Münzstraße 10

10178 Berlin

The challenges for water management are great: climate change, globalisation, the loss of biodiversity and the continued use of surface waters and groundwater require consistent and strategic action to avoid overexploitation of water resources and to ensure the important services of these ecosystems in the long term. In recent months, the management plans and programmes of measures for the third and thus decisive management cycle of the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) have been published. However, the level of ambition of the present management plans does not reflect these challenges. Even the draft of the National Water Strategy does not make any concrete statements on the timely implementation of the WFD.

We want to discuss the current management planning with you at this year's Forum: How do we ensure future-oriented water management? Is the transparency approach pursued by some federal states in conformity with the WFD? What claims can be derived from the climate decision of the Federal Constitutional Court? What levers exist to advance the implementation of the WFD?

Further information: https://www.gewaesserschutzforum.de

The programme can be found here: https://www.wrrl-forum.de/programm2022

For registration: https://www.nabu.de/wir-ueber-uns/veranstaltungen/32226.html

Film- und Diskussionsabend zum World Fish Migration Day 2022 bei Patagonia Berlin. Hauptfilm: “Was Fische wollen. Letzte Chance für den Tiroler Inn” von Christoph Walder. Diskussion mit Theresa Schiller (WWF), Dr. Ruben van Treeck (Institut für Binnenfischerei), Olaf Lindner (Deutscher Angelfischerverband) und Tobias Schäfer (WWF). Moderation: Michael Bender (Stiftung Living Rivers).

Michael Bender (Stiftung Living Rivers) Tobias Schäfer, (WWF Deutschland), Patagonia und flow:europe veranstalteten am 11. Mai 2022 im Patagonia Store Berlin einen FlussFilmabend im Rahmen des nächsten World Fish Migration Day (21. Mai 22).

Aufgeführt wurden vier Kurzfilme sowie der mehrfach ausgezeichnete Dokumentarfilm "Was Fische wollen. Letzte Chance für den Tiroler Inn." von Christoph Walder. Er zeigt die Ursachen und Hintergründe des dramatischen Niedergangs des Tiroler Inns und gibt den engagierten Fischern und Naturschützern eine Stimme, die für die Rückkehr der frei fließenden Flüsse kämpfen.

Ein Trailer ist hier verfügbar: https://vimeo.com/567821999.

Theresa Schiller (WWF Deutschland), Tobias Schäfer (WWF Deutschland), Dr. Ruben van Treeck (IfB: Institut für Binnenfischerei) und Olaf Lindner (DAFV: Deutschen Angelfischverband) diskutierten in dem begleitenden, von Michael Bender (Stiftung Living Rivers) moderierten Austausch mit dem interessierten Publikum über Wildflüsse, Wanderfische und Wasserkraft und beleuchteten das neue Erneuerbare-Energien-Gesetz, das derzeit im Bundestag diskutiert wird.

Event postponed to 2021 (tba)

How do you save what you love?

Join us for two evenings with films and discussions on free rivers, clean water and freshwater life!

2021 is an important year for biodiversity and water policies, in Europe as well as on the UN level. Along with an international selection of short and feature length films, we'll bring together scientists and environmental activists to present new perspectives on river conservation and how to take action.

Discussions with:

Luigi Marmanillo Carteriano, Marañón Waterkeeper

Thilo Papacek, CounterCurrent (GegenStrömung)

Vera Knook, The River Collective

Ruben van Treeck, Thomas Fuß and Lukas Thuile Bistarelli, Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB Berlin)

Theresa Schiller, WWF Germany

Maureen Harris, International Rivers

Concept, curatorial work and moderation:

Tobias Schäfer and Michael Bender, flow : europe

Feature film on Friday, March 13:

Feature film on Saturday, March 14:

River Film Fest at the 2nd European River Summit in Lisbon.

Dam Removal oder die Kunst des Querbauwerksrückbaus

Wann ist ein Fluss ein Fluss?

Das Flussfilmfest kommt im September 2021 erstmals nach Leipzig, nach Stationen in München, Düsseldorf und Berlin. Wir präsentieren eine Dokumentation zum größten Staudammabrissprojekt der Welt am Elwha River an der US-Westküste sowie eine Auswahl von Kurzfilmen: Die Vjosa in Albanien und der Prypjat in Belarus treffen auf die Mulde bei Dessau und die Luppe in Leipzig.

Unser Anliegen: Inspiration und neue Einsichten, mit ernsthaften Diskussionen in einem ungezwungenen Format. Frei fließende und dynamische Flüsse gehören zu den artenreichsten Lebensräumen der Welt – und sind zugleich besonders stark von Zerstörung bedroht, durch Wasserkraftwerke und Staudämme, durch Wasserstraßenprojekte und Kanalisierung. Was macht das Wesen eines Flusses aus? Und was können wir gewinnen, wenn wir Flüssen (wieder) ihren Lauf lassen?

Als fachkundige Diskussionspartner sind das Helmholtz-Zentrum für Umweltforschung (UFZ), der WWF Deutschland und der deutsche Kanuverband an Bord. Das Flussfilmfest ist eine Veranstaltungsreihe von flow : europe e.V. und Stiftung Living Rivers.

Flussfilmabend bei der Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Limnologie im UFZ Leipzig 2021.

Please join us for two online film sessions with an expert discussion on the prospects of a growing network of strictly protected rivers across Europe ‑ healthy, dynamic and free-flowing.

Session 1 (16:30-17:30): Keep the Wild Wild!

Session 2 (17:45-18:45): The Dam Removal Challenge

Free-flowing rivers and their floodplains are known to be among of the most biodiverse habitats on the planet. Yet, as rivers are threatened around the globe, freshwater biodiversity is in dramatic globally, Europe being no exception. With the new EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030, protecting and restoring freshwater ecosystems is finally becoming an even biggger priority.

Protecting the pathways rivers create, and allowing the river to renew itself: This is what river conservation is all about. What does it take to defend the last wild rivers against new hydropower or inland navigation projects, and be more ambitious when it comes to taking down barriers and dams?

The evening will present a number of short films about outstanding rivers in Europe as well as two inspiring examples from the US: The Wild and Scenic Rivers concept, and the stunning dam removals on the Elwha river.

The event is hosted by the European Commission in partnership with the European Environmental Bureau (EEB).