H2H Foundation has organized the first national conference on dam removal in Albania, which was an important achievement in environmental conservation and river restoration. The event focused on identifying non-functional dams. The event brought together experts and stakeholders to discuss the safety, monitoring and benefits of dam removal. We all celebrated the World Fish Migration Day (WFMD) which is celebrated on May 25 every year.
The event emphasized the need to free rivers from unnecessary dams. These structures pose safety and environmental risks and threaten the survival of species such as the European eel, which is now critically endangered due to human-induced factors, including habitat fragmentation caused by dams. The conference emphasized the need to address the significant decline in European eel populations. These populations, which are now less than 1% of their historical numbers, pose a significant problem in our rivers. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has listed this species as critically endangered, emphasizing the need for immediate action.
Pao Fernandez Garrido, a representative from the WFMF, who introduced the dam removal movement in Europe and the US delivered a presentation that illustrated the benefits of dam removal for ecosystems and communities by bringing real European case studies.

The World Fish Migration Foundation highly appreciated our event and published the event on the website and in the annual World Fish Migration Day 2024 report.
For more information about the event, you can read Report fpr World Fish Migration Daz 2024 and our event post on their website WFMD2024-Albania.