Mittelstandspresse
17.12.2025
Rivers: too little protection in the protected area
Europe's protected areas have so far only provided limited benefit to river ecosystems, a new study shows
Frankfurt, Germnay, 17.12.2025 (PresseBox) - Protected areas are meant to preserve endangered species and stabilize ecosystems. But for many European rivers, this protection apparently falls short. This is the finding of a new study led by Senckenberg researchers Dr. James S. Sinclair and Prof. Dr. Peter Haase, which has now been published in the scientific journal "Nature Communications." The international research team examined the condition of rivers at over 1,700 locations in ten European countries across a period of almost four decades. The result: Existing protected areas have only brought about measurable improvements in a limited subset of rivers, even over decades. To protect rivers sustainably, conservation should be performed more holistically by considering the needs of both terrestrial and aquatic species, the researchers conclude.
The loss of biodiversity is progressing worldwide. Extensive measures have been taken in recent decades to counteract this trend, including laws and agreements to expand protected areas, such as the EU Habitats Directive and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. In designated areas like national parks and nature reserves, human activity is restricted to conserve and restore biodiversity. But how effective are these measures for the health of our rivers? An international research team led by Senckenberg scientists Dr. James S. Sinclair and Prof. Dr. Peter Haase investigated this question.
To this end, the researchers investigated how the diversity and composition of river organisms—especially small invertebrates such as insects and mussels—have developed in protected and unprotected areas. These so-called bioindicators show how healthy a river is. The result: In most cases, no difference could be observed between protected and unprotected waters. For already high-quality, i.e., relatively clean, rivers, protection had hardly any measurable effects—presumably because these waters are already relatively unpolluted. Moderately or slightly polluted rivers, on the other hand, were only marginally improved by existing protected areas. Only heavily polluted rivers benefited, and only provided that protections encompassed large upstream sections of the river course and its tributaries.
“Our results show that existing protected areas in Europe are only of limited effectiveness for rivers and their species,” explains lead author Dr. James Sinclair from the Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt. “Only where large parts of the river basin were protected were we able to observe improvements in biodiversity and water quality. Small-scale protective measures directly on the banks are clearly insufficient to truly relieve pressure on rivers.”
The researchers emphasize that many protected areas were originally designated for terrestrial ecosystems – such as forests or habitats of rare birds and mammals. Rivers and their ecological characteristics were often overlooked in the process. As a result, pollutants or agricultural runoff from outside the protected areas can still enter the waterways. "Rivers are not isolated habitats, but rather part of a network that extends far beyond the actual protected boundaries," emphasizes Prof. Dr. Peter Haase, senior author of the study and head of the River and Floodplain Ecology section at the Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt. "If we only protect individual sections without considering the entire catchment area, the benefits remain minimal."
The research team therefore advocates for a holistic approach to water protection planning in the future. Instead of individual, small protected areas, large portions of the entire catchment area of a river must be considered – from its source to its mouth. This includes riparian zones, tributaries, and adjacent landscapes. "Effective river protection can only be achieved if terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems are considered and managed together," says Sinclair. "We must dissolve the boundaries between terrestrial and aquatic nature conservation."
The study also points out that many protected areas still allow human use – such as agriculture or forestry. This can limit their benefits for rivers. However, instead of stricter regulations alone, the researchers advocate for better-coordinated management approaches that involve local communities and explicitly consider the needs of the waterways.
With regard to international biodiversity targets – such as the agreement to protect at least 30 percent of the Earth's surface by 2030 – the study shows that purely area-based targets are insufficient if the quality and design of the protection measures are inadequate. "Our work makes it clear that it's not just about how much area is protected, but also how these areas are designed and interconnected," explains Haase. "Only a holistic approach can halt biodiversity decline in rivers – and thus also have positive effects on adjacent terrestrial and marine ecosystems."
“Our study opens up important perspectives for policy and nature conservation,” adds Sinclair, concluding: “Future conservation strategies should be more strongly focused on entire river basins. This includes measures against pollution, sustainable land use, and the restoration of natural river courses. Only in this way can protected areas achieve their full effect for the waters and their valuable ecosystems.”
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Katharina Decker
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Über Senckenberg – Leibniz Institution for Biodiversity and Earth System Research // Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung:
The Senckenberg Society for Natural Research is a member of the Leibniz Association and has been researching the Earth system worldwide for over 200 years – in the past, present, and with projections for the future. We conduct integrative geobiodiversity research with the aim of understanding nature in all its infinite diversity in order to preserve it as the basis of life for future generations and to use it sustainably. Senckenberg also communicates research findings in a variety of ways, primarily through its three natural history museums in Frankfurt, Görlitz, and Dresden. The Senckenberg Natural History Museums are places of learning and wonder, and they serve as open platforms for dialogue between science and society – inclusive, participatory, and international. More information is available at www.senckenberg.de.
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Europe’s rivers benefit only little from current protected areas – as seen here with the Vindel River in Sweden’s Vindelfjällen Nature Reserve
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The researchers examined how the diversity and composition of river organisms – such as the Beautiful Demoiselle (Calopteryx virgo) – have developed in protected and unprotected areas over recent decades
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