Global Analysis of Durable Policies for Free-Flowing River Protections

Denielle Perry,Sarah Burnham,Alana Nichols,Stephannie Fernandes,Ian Harrison

doi:10.3390/su13042347

Denielle Perry, Sarah Burnham + Show 3 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/su13042347

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Abstract

Freshwater ecosystems are poorly represented in global networks of protected areas. This situation underscores an urgent need for the creation, application, and expansion of durable (long-term and enforceable) protection mechanisms for free-flowing rivers that go beyond conventional protected area planning. To address this need, we must first understand where and what types of protections exist that explicitly maintain the free-flowing integrity of rivers, as well as the efficacy of such policy types. Through policy analysis and an in-depth literature review, our study identifies three main policy mechanisms used for such protections: (1) River Conservation Systems; (2) Executive Decrees and Laws; and (3) Rights of Rivers. We found that globally only eight counties have national river conservation systems while seven countries have used executive decrees and similar policies to halt dam construction, and Rights of Rivers movements are quickly growing in importance, relative to other protection types. Despite the current extent of protection policies being insufficient to tackle the freshwater and biodiversity crises facing the world’s rivers, they do provide useful frameworks to guide the creation and expansion of protections. Ultimately, as countries act on global calls for protections, policy mechanisms must be tailored to their individual social and ecological geographies.

Highlights

Freshwater is essential for human and non-human life systems [1,2], as evidenced by the fact that most advanced societies developed near rivers [3,4]
The National Wild and Scenic Rivers System of the United States of America (U.S.) is the first national river conservation system created in the world
Aside from the Rights of Rivers campaigns or study systems highlighted in the previous sections, this study identified eight ongoing campaigns seeking the creation of permanent protections or halting river modification projects (See Table 4 and Figure 4)

Summary

Introduction

Freshwater is essential for human and non-human life systems [1,2], as evidenced by the fact that most advanced societies developed near rivers [3,4]. Around 9.5% (very possibly more) of all described animal species are found, including one-third of all vertebrates [6,7]. The ecosystem services offered by freshwater systems are extremely valuable and projected to be worth around US $4 trillion annually [8]. Free-flowing rivers (i.e., those rivers or segments or rivers whose flow is not obstructed or diverted in such a way as to impede connectivity) are important freshwater ecosystems, as they provide migration routes for aquatic and riparian species, allow for the transportation of sediment and nutrients, enable groundwater recharge, and mitigate flooding, among a myriad of other services [7,9]. EPA’s Tier Three Waters for the Pesticide General Permit (PGP) (Outstanding National Resource Waters). Available online: https://oregonwild.org/rivers (accessed on 21 February 2021). The Uneven Geography of River Conservation in the U.S.: Insights from The Application of the Wild and Scenic Rivers

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