European Rivers Network Homepage

Please visite our

NEW WEBSITE

www.ern.org

The main goal of European Rivers Network (ERN)

ERN seeks to promote the sustainable wise management of living rivers and water in opposition to the exploitation, pollution and degradation that has occurred in the past.

The European Rivers Network is a European information and collaboration network of organisations and individuals working in the field of river protection.

The aim of ERN is to link groups, organisations and persons working for the protection of rivers and to improve communication between them. (environment, culture, education and human rights).

The European Rivers Network (ERN) was founded 1994 by Roberto A. Epple as a project of SOS Loire Vivante, now ERN France - SOS Loire Vivante (NGO french "loi 1901", founded in 1989) in technical cooperation with IRN (International Rivers Network), WWF and other partners.

Running projects and campaigns :

• Black Hydro - Damwatch : a campaign against 'bad dams" and for a labelisation of "good dams". (Start : 2016)

Setup the Wild Rivers Project and the associated "Wild Rivers Fund ("Rivières sauvages") inluding the creation of labels.

• Supporting or and Leading Dam Decommissioning Campaigns in France and Europe,
Sélune libre and Le Nouveau Poutès

• Support for world wide campaigns against destructive water development projects. (We apply the WCD Recommondation to evaluat projects)

• Internationam Coordination of the Campaigns "Salmon Comeback" to Switzerland 2020) in cooperation with WWF Switzerland.

• Rivers of pictures and flows of words a educational project for yung people. It promotes since 1996 through the arts watershed awareness. (multidisciplinary approach) .

• BIG JUMP 2005-2015 Campaign : ERN is the Initiator and Coordinator of the Big Jump (International River Swimming Day). “Big Jump” aims at reconciliating people with their rivers and to gain people's support to the big European restoration effort for rivers and wetlands suchas the huge Water Framework Directive of the European Community. Over 350 000 peoples, along 31 rivers basins in 22 countries participated in 2005 !

• Running RIVERNET (the Web Portal for living rivers).
RIVERNET offers multilingual information concerning rivers and their watersheds,
(over 2000 every day in 2008)

• Establishing a UNESCO Biosphere on the upper Loire Valley in France

• Co-ordination of the Loire Vivante Network (Living Loire, France)

- Publishing the e-mail based RiverNews (former RiverFax).
This delivers important multilingual information about current events related to rivers of Europe and the world. ERN supports other thematical and river basin focused e-mail work groups (listservs).

completed projects :

• Developing a webbased RiverInfo Systemweb (GIS) (project completed)

• Partner in AQUANET EUROPE FOUNDATION (project completed)
Five non-profit organizations in Europe, based in Spain (Fundacion Nueva Cultura del Agua), Belgium ( RIOU ), The Netherlands (Stichting Reinwater), France (European Rivers Network - ERN) and Italy (Gruppo 183 - Onlus), and dealing with issues related to the sustainable development of water resources have united to form a new organization.The aim of the organization is the sustainable management of waters and the related ecosystems in the European Union.
The organization realises its aim by:
a) organisation and co-ordination of national and international activities;
b) monitoring and promotion of the implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive and related EU provisions;
c) exchange of knowledge and experience on best practices;
d) stimulation of relevant educational, scientific and publicity activities at both national and international level;
e) raising of public awareness. The organization acts in co-operation with public or private bodies concerned for the protection and management of water, both at national and international level.
Its activities cover the whole of the European Union as well as the areas of the world concerned by the European Union's policies.

• Partner in the RhineNet Project (EU InterReg 3b Project), (project completed)
Developing participative management for the Rhine.
Objectives : " The identification and development of lasting practices in water management, which have as a goal the enforcement and development of the Rhine habitat towards a good ecological quality while considering citizen interests
" The mitigation of user conflicts"
" The promotion of international cooperation between citizens, institutions, authorities and municipalities and the dissemination of know how

• Youth Riverbasin Parliaments in European river basins. (project competed 2007)

• Clearinghouse for the european campaign against Spains National Hydrological Plan in cooperation with the spanish NGOs. (project completed in 2006)

• Consulting and Participation in the Lebendige Elbe” (Living Elbe campaign (a DUH and G+J project) with the main goal to link the more than 400 organisations and to establish a Network of UNESCO Worldheritage and UNESCO MaB Site along the Elbe river. (Project completed, 1998 - 2008)

Contacts :

ERN
Main and Westeuropean Office
8 rue Crozatier,
43000 Le Puy, Southern France
Phone +33 471 02 08 14 Fax +33 471 02 60 99
infos at ern.org www.ern.org

Ask for our liste of antennas in the main european river basins

Staff:

to contact us : infos (at) ern.org :

Coordination Europe / générale
Roberto A. Epple Le Puy / France and Geneva / Switzerland

Coordination Central and East Europe including Eurasie,
Alfred Olfert, Dresden / Germany +49 351 31 37 841

Project Coordination France

and Head Conservation projects and Campaigns:
Simon Burner, Le Puy (France), Directeur

accounting / Secrétariat:
Christele Tran Le Puy / France
Cathrine Ribeyre

BlackHydro & dam removal & ecological continuity
Corinne Ronot-Forst, Le Puy

Conservation of ecosysteme and biodiversity
including management of our sites Bonnefont,Lauzet,Chambon in France)
Corinne Ronot-Forst, Le Puy

Education :
Lucie Galland Le Puy / France
Anne Fanny Profit (Antenne Orléans / France)

Wild Rivers (Rivières sauvages)
Lucie Galland (Le Puy / France)
Mélanie Taquet (prox. Bourge en Bresse)
Conseillé externe : Denis Caudron

Culture du fleuve
Alexis Pasquet (Antenne Paris/ France)
Conseillé externe : Martin Arnould

SIG / Cartography
Lucie Galland Le puy France
Ute Ruf, région Strasbourg, France / Allemagne

Logistique Bonnefont (Info Center Haute Vallée Loire, France)
Jean Paul Chabanon, Le Puy / France
Elian Fontvielle, Le Puy / France