The Environment Agency, Thames Rivers Restoration Trust and numerous partner organisations, have been reviving the iconic River Thames. From being declared biologically dead in the 1950s the River Thames has made a remarkable recovery, with salmon and otters returning to the river.  The collaboration of organisations have been working on a number of projects and initiatives with a range of partners to help the River Thames reach its ecological potential. 

Along side the activities to revie the Thames, the Environment Agency is also planning for the future. The Thames Estuary 2100 vision is a 100 year adaptable plan directing the future sustainable management of tidal flood risk in the Thames estuary.  It is this type of innovative, forward-thinking behaviour that demonstrates the Environment Agency’s commitment to protect and improve the environment, and promote sustainable development.

coming soon

St John’s River Water Management District in partnership with the US Army Corps of Engineers, USA directed the prize money to on ground project outcomes to restore St John’s River.

Awarded to International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR) for its collaborative effort to improve water quality in the second largest river basin in Europe. The project demonstrated excellence in water management through establishing a network of water monitoring and sampling stations, research ships testing pollution and a transboundary warning system for accidents. “The ultimate goal of ICPDR is to see the rational use of water within the Danube Basin and to minimise negative consequences of the 2,780 km Danube on the Black Sea.”

The Commission uses the prize money to fund their twinning project with Orange-Senqu River Commission in Southern Africa with their prize money.

The 2006 Thiess International Riverprize was awarded to the ‘Chengdu Sha River Restoration Project Incorporation’ under the Chengdu Municipal Foreign Affairs Office in south-west China for its significant restoration work on the Sha river.

The river plays a major role in the flood management control for the city of Chengdu. By the late 1990s it was virtually dead and had become a severe health hazard. Rapid population and industrial growth saw the river suffer from city waste, raw sewage, deforestation, coal silt and rural garbage.

In 2001 a comprehensive large-scale restoration project was established bringing together over a dozen government organisations, commercial enterprises and investment agencies, including Turf Design (Australia) and the Bank of China.

The US $411 million integrated restoration project has so far improved water quality, controlled flood flows, cleaned up pollution, landscaped parks and implemented drainage systems.

The 2005 Thiess International Riverprize was awarded to the Communauté de Communes du Val de Drôme (CCVD) in the South-East of France. Once polluted and sucked dry by agricultural irrigation, the Drôme River has seen a significant improvement in its water quality, biodiversity and flood control.

Over twenty years, the CCVD has monitored the river’s flows and upgraded sewage treatment facilities to ensure sustainable restoration of the Drôme River Valley. Water quality is a major issue for tourism and for recreational activities such as bathing, fishing and canoeing in the Valley.

The work on the Drôme River Valley is a successful example of river restoration and similar river plans are being made obligatory across Europe under the European Union’s Water Framework Directive.

Communate des Communes du Val de Drome utilised their prize money to support their twining project  with the Tiangol Mangol Basin in Senegal.

The Siuslaw River Basin Restoration Partnership consisting of the Siuslaw Institute, the Siuslaw Watershed Council, Siuslaw Soil & Water Conservation District and Siuslaw National Forest was awarded the 2004 Thiess International Riverprize for river restoration efforts leading to salmon returning to spawn.

Once one of the most productive river basins in the USA, commercial fishing, logging and agricultural practices reduced resources in the river basin close to unsustainable levels and led to the endangered listing of several species.
 
The Siuslaw River Basin Restoration Partnership has been working cooperatively for more than 16 years with private landowners, local organisations and state and federal agencies to restore the basin's natural functions, wildlife populations and economic activities to sustainable levels. Involved in the restoration project are confederated tribes of the Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw ‘First Nations’. Restoration work includes replicating natural habitat, decommissioning roads to control erosion and run-off and planting native vegetation to stabilise river banks and floodplains

The Siuslaw Institute used half their prize money for on ground projects in within the Basin, and the remainder was invested and is being held for use as matched funding for larger scale projects.

The 2003 Thiess International Riverprize was awarded to the Alexander River Restoration Administration (ARRA) in Israel for their successful model of cooperation and river restoration in a highly volatile setting.

Founded in 1995 to restore and manage the river catchment, ARRA brought together Israeli and Palestinian people to work collaboratively to clean up the Alexander River and its main tributary, the Nablus Stream. Despite raging violence between the sides for years, two ground-breaking agreements were signed by local Palestinian and Israeli leaders and the cooperation continues since 1996.

A comprehensive master plan, approved by all 20 ARRA partners in 1995, has led to the construction of the innovative Nablus Stream sewage treatment plant. The plan included the set up of a demonstration site along a stretch of river that involves scenic, ecological and drainage restoration and seven other river parks. Projects to protect the rare Nile soft-shelled turtle were carried out. The plan overall led to significant improvements in drainage, water quality, riparian vegetation, new parklands and sewage treatment. Public participation and a unique school program are important components of this comprehensive river restoration project. More than US $13 million have been invested in the Alexander River Restoration Project so far.

The Alexander River Restoration Administration's prize money was invested in a unique school program for 600 fourth grade students in the region on the Alexander River Restoration Project.

The Mekong River Commission (MRC) was formed in 1995 by an agreement between the governments of Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand and Viet Nam, the four countries agreed on joint management of their shared water resources and development of the economic potential of the river.

The MRC drives the Mekong Programme, a Regional Cooperation Programme for the Sustainable Development of Water and Related Resources in the Mekong Basin, owned by its member countries.

The Mekong Programme aims to achieve more effective use of water and related resources to alleviate poverty while protecting the environment. Using the concept of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM), the MRC believes a well-balanced, peaceful, equitable and sustainable development process can be facilitated for the mutual benefit of all Mekong riparian countries.

The Mekong River Commission used their prize money to conduct a regional art competition across member states to encourage children to think about the river, their environment, and the need to plan for the future. Award ceremonies raised awareness in local media and winning artwork was used to produce the Mekong River Commission’s annual calendar

The 2001 Thiess International Riverprize was awarded to the Blackwood Basin Group (BBG), Australia, which was first formed in 1992 by the community concerned with the declining condition of the Blackwood River in Western Australia. Cattle had damaged the riverbank, fresh water had turned salty, fish had disappeared and parts of the river were clogged with sediment.

BBG developed an integrated catchment management plan with targets for ground and surface water management, saving and restoring native vegetation and improved river water quality.

Since winning the prize, BBG has developed an environmental management system called ‘BestFarms’ to help landholders manage their properties for the benefit of the environment, and to demonstrate this through a certification process. The Blackwood River Foundation has been established using the Riverprize money as seed funding. The Foundation promotes excellence in natural resource management and funds scholarships and research.

Blackwood Basin Group created a trust with the prize money and established the Blackwood River Foundation. Funds will be directed to research and on-ground projects to restore the Blackwood Basin. The Fund was launched at the 13th International Riversymposium, Perth in 2010.

Canada’s Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA) was recognised in 2000 for its long-term successful restoration work on the Grand River, Ontario. Thanks to a combination of programs undertaken over the last fifty years by GRCA and its partners, the Grand River recovered after years of degradation and industrialization.

The ‘Grand Strategy’, standing for this collaborative effort of GRCA, partners and local communities, includes replanting, controlling erosion, regulating development in floodplains and wetlands, creating outreach programs to landholders, and developing outdoor recreation areas.
Solid guidelines are now in place to manage fisheries, prevent pollution and improve river water quality. The fish have returned and recreational use of the river increased significantly. It also led to reduced flood damage by 80% through reservoirs.

GRCA created a legacy with their prize money and established an endowment fund, so each year the proceeds from the investment income are used to fund up to a dozen projects run by community groups and schools

River Mersey, the river that changed the world, was the inaugural Thiess International Riverprize winner. The efforts of the Mersey Basin Campaign demonstrated significant improvement in river health. Established in 1985, the Campaign faced a big challenge to clean up the Mersey River which with its estuary was widely regarded as the most polluted in Europe.

A combination of massive investment in the water infrastructure by a privatized water company, tough environmental legislation, major sewage treatment upgrades made the difference. The remarkable transformation was made possible by the work of many organisations and individuals working together. The Mersey Basin Campaign was a pioneer in partnership. Today, the Mersey and its tributaries are cleaner than at any time since the end of the industrial revolution. Water quality has improved and fish have returned to formerly polluted stretches of the river. For the first time in living memory, juvenile salmon have been found in the upper reaches of the river near Stockport.

The Mersey Basin Campaign used their prize money to support a range of small, innovative projects at the local community scale.