Europe’s last wild rivers under siege: Nearly 2,500 km of pristine Balkan rivers lost since 2012

A comprehensive new assessment of hydromorphological conditions across the Balkans has revealed a dramatic and accelerating deterioration of the region's renowned pristine waterways. The State of Balkan Rivers 2025: Hydromorphological assessment and 13-year trends report, authored by Dr Ulrich Schwarz of Fluvius Vienna and commissioned by EuroNatur and Riverwatch as part of the Save the Blue Heart of Europe Campaign, assessed 83,824 km of rivers across 11 countries, revealing that the percentage of nearly natural rivers has declined from 30% in 2012 to just 23% in 2025 or 2,450 river kilometres (rkm), while severely modified river stretches have increased.

Download the full study, experience it visually in the story map, and interact with the new data in our interactive map.

Balkans overall: A downward trend

The study reveals a troubling regional pattern:

• River conditions across the Balkans have declined steadily since 2012.
• Larger rivers remain the most impacted due to dams, channelisation, and sediment disruption.
• Since 2012, river impoundments have increased by 18% (from 2,224 to 2,626 rkm).
• Smaller headwater streams are generally in better condition, but pressures are spreading.
• Hydropower development remains the key driver of degradation. Other major pressures include water abstraction, sediment extraction, and infrastructure construction.
• Conservation efforts have successfully protected approximately 900 rkm, primarily by halting hydropower dam projects.

Of the larger rivers assessed, only 23% remain nearly natural, while 43% show slight modifications. Moderately to extensively modified rivers account for 27%, and severely modified stretches, primarily impoundments, represent 7% of the network. The most significant alterations were recorded on the Drina, Neretva, Vardar/Axios, Devoll, and Drin basins. Crucially, while this decline is alarming, the remaining percentages of nearly natural and slightly modified rivers remain significantly higher than in the rest of Europe, underscoring the Balkans' unique status as the continent's last major stronghold of pristine rivers.

“The long-term trends documented in this study show a clear decline in near-natural river stretches across the Balkans, driven primarily by impoundments and large-scale river modifications. While the region still retains a comparatively high share of intact rivers, these trends point to a growing divergence between current development practices and the environmental standards required under EU accession frameworks and sustainable river management principles,” says the study’s author, Dr Ulrich Schwarz of Fluvius Vienna.

Albania: The steepest decline in the Balkans

The study concludes that no other Balkan country has lost as many pristine or slightly modified river stretches in the past decade as Albania. Hydropower development, uncontrolled river regulation, water abstraction, and extensive floodplain alteration have reshaped Albania’s river landscapes at unprecedented speed.

“While Albania successfully protected the Vjosa and some of its tributaries, more river stretches were degraded over the past decade than in any other Balkan country. These findings should serve as a wake-up call for the Albanian government to safeguard rivers nationwide, not only in a single basin, particularly given the country’s aspirations to join the European Union,” says Ulrich Eichelmann, CEO of Riverwatch.

Conservation successes offer hope

The report notes that recent conservation efforts have successfully protected about 900 km of rivers by halting hydropower projects, establishing new protected areas, and establishing a policy prohibiting small hydropower plants. The declaration of the Vjosa Wild River National Park remains the region’s most important conservation achievement.

Call for systematic protection

Based on the findings, we call for immediate and coordinated action:

• Strengthen national and EU protection: Protect remaining intact rivers through national and international legislation and policies, expand protected areas, and strictly enforce them.
• Halt destructive hydropower development: Particularly in Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina, where river degradation is increasing most rapidly.
• Establish systematic monitoring: All Balkan countries must implement harmonised hydromorphological assessments as a prerequisite for EU accession. 
• Restore damaged rivers: Including barrier removal, floodplain reconnection, reduced riverbed extraction, and nature-based restoration measures.
• Prioritise nature and climate resilience: Shift away from infrastructure-heavy river regulation towards ecosystem-based flood and drought management.

“As this region’s rivers continue to lose their natural character, the window for meaningful protection is rapidly closing,” says Annette Spangenberg, Head of Programme Fresh Water at EuroNatur. “The Balkans still hold some of Europe’s last wild rivers, but safeguarding them now requires political courage, science-based decision-making, and a clear shift away from destructive practices. The data shows what is being lost and what will be lost if we do not act.”