There’s a knot in my stomach as the river narrows and jumps towards the lip of the biggest waterfall I’ve ever kayaked. Equal parts exhilaration and fear (if I’m honest, mostly fear), the deep rumble of the waterfall growing louder with each paddle stroke. And then, suddenly, silence. As I plunge over the edge, time seems to stop. Seconds stretch into what feels like minutes, and here is where I feel the world in a way that can only be understood through experience.
The first thing I notice is the cold, crisp temperature of the water, but not in an uncomfortable way. It’s invigorating. As I look up, the light filtering through the water turns golden brown, and the surface above seems to glow. There’s a unique smell to fresh mountain water—clean and ancient. As I pop back to the surface, the noise immediately returns, like the most impactful rainstorm you’ve ever heard. The rush of the falls fills my ears once more, and with it, an overwhelming sense of euphoria. I made it. I’m still in one piece, and already, I can’t wait to do it again.
It was experiences like this, kayaking as a teenager, that forged my deep love for the environment. These moments, immersed in nature, eventually led me to pursue a degree in geography and a PhD studying river systems and data analytics. And yet, as much as I’ve learned, rivers remain my best teachers.
Rivers are the arteries of the Earth, vital to the health of ecosystems and by extension all of us: people and wildlife. Yet, as a society, we’ve spent centuries trying to force them to bend to our arrogant will. Our historical approach to river restoration reflects this: dredging, straightening, and controlling. We impose our will on the rivers, thinking we can engineer solutions to every problem. But in our arrogance, we often fail to recognise that this control comes at a cost, one far higher than we often can comprehend. By trying to engineer rivers—through dredging, damming, and constructing barriers—we disrupt the natural rhythms that have existed for millennia. We cause more harm than good, and the environment suffers as a result.
“Over 1.2 million barriers fragment European rivers (estimated at 1 barrier every 0.74km of river), with many now obsolete, contributing to a 93% decline in freshwater migratory fish populations in Europe and 76% globally. Barrier removal has emerged as a cost-effective and efficient river restoration tool, proven by its increasing adoption across Europe. In 2022 alone, 325 barriers were removed across 16 countries, reconnecting 832 km of habitat, with 73% of the barriers being weirs. In 2023, the momentum continued with a record-breaking 487 barriers removed – an increase of 49.8% – reconnecting 4,300 km of river habitat.
With a significant number of barriers still fragmenting European rivers, the scale of the challenge remains immense. As barrier removal proves to be an effective restoration tool, further investment and collaboration are critical to accelerating progress (and best practice), ensuring that our rivers can once again thrive and support both biodiversity and sustainable human activities.” – Dan Johnson , Head of Environment at Oxygen Conservation
What if, instead of trying to dominate nature, we listened to it? What if we focused on removing the harm we’ve already caused—pollution, barriers, culverts—and gave rivers the time and space they need to heal?
Even when we acknowledge the damage, we still seek to solve it with heavy-handed engineering solutions – far too often we think concrete is the answer regardless of the question. It’s as though we’re addicted to the idea of fixing things, proving how clever we are by solving problems. But wisdom, unlike cleverness, comes from humility. It comes from listening to the rivers and letting them guide us.
This World Rivers Day, I urge us to rethink our relationship with rivers. Let’s stop forcing our will on them and, instead, give them the respect and freedom they deserve. Rivers are living systems. They nourish ecosystems, support wildlife, and provide for humanity in countless ways. In return, they deserve time, space, and our care.
Let’s let rivers express themselves. Instead of confining them with concrete and steel, let’s work toward removing barriers—both physical and metaphorical. Let’s stop polluting and start restoring, not by forcing change, but by facilitating nature’s natural processes; restoring, rewetting, and rewiggling.
The next time you find yourself by a river, whether paddling through white water or simply watching and going with the flow, take a moment to listen. The river has its own story to tell. And maybe, just maybe, we can learn how to be not just clever, but wise.
Rivers, like us, deserve the chance to breathe, to flow freely, and to thrive. And as we celebrate World Rivers Day, let’s commit to giving them that chance.
Rich Stockdale
Founder & CEO