CONNECT
Fostering river connectivity through sustainable dam removal actions
The CONNECT project aims to improve the dam removal process, by maximizing the positive environmental changes.
Develop and test forecasting tools to predict environmental changes from dam removal
Introduce eDNA monitoring to support and improve water quality assessments under the WFD
Promote awareness and collaboration on the dam removal benefits for biodiversity among stakeholders
Tracking change through data
Ecology
Dam removal restores natural river connectivity, allowing fish and other aquatic species to complete their life cycles. By combining innovative tools such as eDNA metabarcoding, PIT-tagging, and traditional monitoring, CONNECT evaluates how biodiversity responds to barrier removal. This ecological perspective helps anticipate both gains (e.g. improved migration of native species) and risks (e.g. spread of invasive alien species), ensuring decisions maximize biodiversity enhancement.
Sediments
Obsolete dams disrupt natural sediment transport, often leading to reservoir accumulation and downstream erosion. CONNECT investigates sediment quality and mobility before and after dam removal, including potential contamination with nutrients or pollutants. By linking field monitoring with hydromorphological modeling, the project assesses how sediment release shapes river morphology and ecosystem recovery, informing safe and sustainable removal strategies.
Communities
Successful river restoration depends on more than ecological gains, it requires engaging the people who live along the river. CONNECT, together with GEOTA Rios Livres, promotes active involvement of local communities and authorities in decision-making. Through participatory workshops, communication campaigns, and awareness-raising, the project builds trust and fosters shared responsibility, ensuring that dam removal enhances not only biodiversity but also cultural, social, and economic values.