The ICOLD Young Professionals Forum (ICOLD-YPF) successfully organized a special webinar on June 11th, 2025 to mark European Dams and Reservoirs Day, an initiative launched by the ICOLD European Club (EURCOLD). The event gathered experts and stakeholders from across Europe to explore the theme “A Water and Energy Secure World in a Changing Environment.”
The webinar aimed to raise awareness about the strategic role of dams and reservoirs in Europe’s energy and water systems, especially under the pressures of climate change, biodiversity protection, and energy transition.
Participants had the opportunity to hear insightful contributions about:
Sera Lazaridou, President, ICOLD European Club
European Dams and Reservoirs Day
Liza Bensasson, Vice President, ICOLD
The Chengdu Declaration: World Declaration on the Role of Dams for Energy Transition and Climate Change Adaptation
Dr. Emanuele Quaranta, Scientific Officer, European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC)
Complexities and Challenges of Water Reservoirs with Focus on EU Policies
Dr. Christoph Hauer, Chair, ETIP WG2: Hydropower and Biodiversity
Good Practices of the European Hydropower Industry to Address Aquatic Biodiversity Management and Sediment Flow
The full recording is available here:
https://youtu.be/ASRQvGgYxZc?si=zsBn_aduL8geg0y0
This event not only celebrated European expertise in dam and reservoir development but also underscored the importance of resilient and sustainable infrastructure to ensure water and energy security in a changing global environment.