Stories from Europe
We arrived first in Bulgaria and while Mina ran and attended World Water Week in Sweden, the team told water stories in Greece and Albania. We all then reunited in Croatia, before going to Hungary and the Danube and Austria for key corporate stakeholder meetings. In Germany, Run Blue connected with campaign partner Bayer, and the Valuing Water Initiative in the Netherlands for Marathon 100. Run Blue also ran in Belgium, Switzerland and France. In later months of the campaign, Mina also ran in the United Kingdom and Spain with key government and partner engagements.
It's difficult to describe what we witnessed when we visited Croatia's largest national park and UNESCO World Heritage site, the Plitvice Lakes National Park.
The area is covered in forests and meadows, with waters flowing over the limestone and chalk which over thousands of years have deposited travertine barriers, creating natural dams, lakes, caves and waterfalls.
Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia
For years the Vjosa River has been threatened by the construction of hydropower plants. These dams will destroy the natural environment and biodiversity, flood the valley and cause some parts of the river to run dry.
When construction on a hydropower dam commenced, NGOs such as WWF, EuroNatur and EcoAlbania came together to fight against the dam alongside the local community who rely on it. Even private stakeholders such as Patagonia stepped in to use their global reach and influence to assist with saving the river. Now that the area has been established as a nature park, citizens can rest a bit easier knowing that, for now at least, the last wild river of Europe is protected.
the Vjosa River, Albania
In August 2022, Hungary's National Water Directorate (OVF) reported that Hungary had experienced the worst drought since 1901.
Below average rainfall in Hungary means that rivers and lakes are running dry, as with Lake Velence. This directly impacts the area's economy, agriculture, and plant and animal life.
Lake Velence, Hungary
In 2022, Europe experienced one of the worst droughts in decade, leaving parts of the iconic Danube River dry. This was particularly concerning as the river is used for transport, hydroelectricity and industrial & residential water supplies.
The Danube plays an integral role in the economies of the 10 countries on its border - Ukraine, Moldova, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Austria, and Germany.
The Danube River
Germany's Rhine River fell to its lowest water level in 500 years due to the European drought. Drought is one of the side effects of Climate Change. The Rhine River in Germany is another very real example of the impact of climate change on our planet and our economies.
The Rhine River, germany
The Run Blue team visited the Moiry Glacier and hut in the Swiss Alps. Over the 2022 summer, temperatures were so high that the glaciers lost 6% of their ice, which is unheard of in comparison to previous years.
If this continues, we'll lose the Alpine glaciers, with scientists predicting that the Moiry Glacier could be entirely gone by 2070. The loss of glaciers has an insurmountable impact on water infrastructure in the area, as communities will not have water to drink and there may not be enough water to continue hydroelectric power production.
Moiry Glacier, Swiss Alps
The team visited the last wild river in Europe, the Loire River in France. Roberto Epple, president of the European Rivers Network, explains how the “Keep the Loire Wild Campaign” has promoted better water management. Government, engineers and organisations have worked together to ensure the Loire River Basin and its biodiversity continues to flourish and flow.
“We cannot forget that we can act and we can change a lot. It’s not hopeless. There’s a chance, especially if we give the possibilities to nature to recover itself, together with us, big changes are possible.” - Roberto Epple.
The Loire River, France
The Thames River, United Kingdom
During July heatwaves in the United Kingdom, temperatures surpassed 40C (104F) for the first time. We stood in parts of the Thames river where there would usually be muddy water, yet the land underfoot was dry. This is #ClimateChange in action.