WWF report: 77 percent of Austrian rivers lack legal protection

A new report by the environmental organization WWF reveals that 77 percent of ecologically valuable river stretches in Austria are not legally protected from further hydropower expansion. Approximately 9,700 river kilometers lack binding protections, affecting natural sections, intact floodplains, and habitats for endangered fish species.

The report highlights significant protection gaps in the federal states of Carinthia and Vorarlberg, where more than 90 percent of water stretches are unprotected. In Lower Austria, Salzburg, Styria, Tyrol, and Upper Austria, 50 percent of ecologically valuable river stretches are affected.

WWF expert Bettina Urbanek stated that failing to protect intact rivers amidst increasing heat and drought is negligent. She warned that new hydropower plants could block national renaturation plans for decades, noting that 76 percent of the 1,900 river kilometers intended for renaturation currently lack legal safeguards.