Rivers and lakes located in European cities and towns are getting cleaner thanks to improvements in waste water treatment and restoration projects which have brought many waterways back to life, according to a new report by the European Environment Agency (EEA) released yesterday.
The EEA report ‘ Rivers and lakes in European cities: Past and future challenges ,’ assesses the strategies and measures authorities have taken in urban centers to improve the state of local rivers and lakes.
These can serve as useful examples of lessons learned on urban planning and design approaches for socially and environmentally-resilient cities.
Case studies involving 17 cities from across Europe, including Aarhus, Bucharest, Leipzig, Madrid, Oslo and Vienna, were screened for the assessment.
The report stresses that the restoration of rivers and lakes is a win-win situation, by improving flood control and ecological functions while offering recreational value and raising the quality of life in urban areas.