Reviving the Gediz River: Restoring Free-Flowing Rivers in the Aegean Region, Türkiye
The Gediz River stretches 401 kilometres from Mount Murat in Kütahya to the Aegean Sea in İzmir, supporting rich biodiversity and thousands of people who rely on its water and ecosystems. But today the river basin is under growing pressure. Dams, weirs, and other physical barriers are disrupting natural flows, degrading habitats, fragmenting ecosystems, and contributing to a decline in freshwater species and the services the river provides.
To address these challenges, Doğa Derneği (BirdLife in Türkiye, Doga) has launched the “Flowing for the Future: Reviving the Gediz River Catchment in Aegean, Türkiye” project, funded by the Open Rivers Programme (ARCADIA). Running from July 2025 to August 2026, the project aims to identify, map, and document barriers across the 1,921 km² catchment, assess their ecological and socio-economic impacts, and support policy solutions that enable barrier removal and river restoration.
Over the next 13 months, Doga will conduct field surveys, GIS mapping, biodiversity assessments, hydrological analyses, and remote sensing-based before-and-after comparisons. These studies will build a clear picture of how barriers affect water quality, species, habitats, and local communities.
The project will also produce scientific reports and visual communication materials, as well as awareness campaigns to highlight the importance of free-flowing rivers. Engagement with local and national authorities, collaboration with legal and policy experts, and the creation of a regional stakeholder coalition will further strengthen advocacy for sustainable river management.
Furthermore, these actions will create the first complete barrier inventory for the Gediz River, generating robust scientific evidence to guide barrier removal, modification, and restoration planning. Findings will be used to raise public awareness, support policy advocacy, and help decision-makers prioritise the removal of critical barriers that restore river connectivity and reduce ecological pressures. Ultimately, the project aims to strengthen long-term resilience for freshwater ecosystems and the communities that depend on them.
This initiative builds on previous restoration work in the Gediz Delta under the CARDIMED project (Horizon Europe) and on biodiversity monitoring supported by the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) through Tour du Valat (TdV). With this new project, efforts now expand to the entire catchment, marking an important step toward a free-flowing, climate-resilient Gediz River.
For further information, please get in touch with Özge Yaylalı, Biodiversity Research Officer at Doğa Derneği at ozge.yaylali@dogadernegi.org
