The national seminar FREE FLOW aims to enhance networking and joint commitment amongst river practitioners from Luxembourg with a shared interest in restoring free-flowing rivers by removing obsolete man-made barriers. This topic is more relevant than ever, as the biodiversity of free-flowing rivers is under pressure, while droughts and floodings are becoming more frequent events due to climate change. At the same time the value of free-flowing rivers and the need to protect and restore them has recently been recognized by the EU Biodiversity strategy, the Convention of Biological Diversity and the National Biodiversity Strategy of Luxembourg, implemented by the National Plan for the Protection of Nature (PNPN3). Furthermore, the restoration of free-flowing rivers is a key element for achieving a good ecological status under the Water Framework Directive (CE/2000/60).

Thanks to the work of river practitioners in Europe and the United States of America, barrier removal is getting mainstreamed and implemented as a valid tool for river restoration and nature-based solution to respond to climate change. Within the frame of the 3rd national RMBP, the implementation of obsolete barrier removal is recognized as an efficient tool for river restoration with high ecological value and is part of the nature and river restoration programme of measures. In accordance with the European-wide objective of the Biodiversity Strategy of restoring at least 25.000 km of free-flowing river stretches, Luxembourg is developing a national free flowing river strategy, which deals with the practical set of measures. Therefore, the first Free Flow Luxembourg seminar seeks to bring together the Luxembourgish River practitioners’ network, to share the knowledge, discuss challenges. The seminar will highlight best practices on obsolete barrier removal and latest developments around the restoration of free-flowing rivers. Best practices will be actively shared through presentations but also through live interviews in the field.