More than 460 people expected this week for the RestauraRios conference
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Press Release
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Freshwaters
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Press Release
The fifth edition of the Iberian River Restoration Congress, RestauraRíos 2026, which will take place in Soria (Spain) from 10 to 12 June, has already attracted more than 460 registrations. Organised every two years, this event will host more than 170 speakers and participants across plenary sessions, round tables, parallel sessions and dynamic “River Pitch” formats, in which experiences, research and innovative projects linked to the restoration of rivers and river ecosystems will be presented.
Along with the Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge (MITECO), we partner this event organised by our member the Iberian Centre for River Restoration (CIREF) and the Duero River Basin Authority (CHD). It also benefits from the support of the city council.
Key themes that will form the focus of the three-day programme include the restoration of river ecosystems, the restoration of river connectivity, flood risk management, nature-based solutions, collaborative governance, environmental education and public engagement.
Plenary presentations and international debates
The programme includes international conferences and specialist panel discussions on river restoration and climate resilience. These include among others: “Re-Sponging Iberia: Creating Flood- and Drought-Resilient Landscapes”, presented by our Freshwater manager Paul Brotherton and Aniela Stachnik; and “Rios sem Fronteiras: What solutions for shared management between Spain and Portugal?”, with Manuela Oliveira, Diana Fernandes and our Senior Freshwater policy officer Irene Duque.
The plenary sessions will address issues such as the challenges of river restoration in urban environments, the ecological restoration of river ecosystems, water governance, and strategies for environmental education and communication.
Technical communications
The conference will also feature dozens of technical presentations organised into parallel sessions focusing on six main thematic areas: river restoration, flow and sediment load; restoration of the structure and function of river ecosystems; restoration experience using nature-based solutions; challenges of river restoration in urban environments; as well as strategies for governance, environmental education, public engagement and communication.
A total of 166 presentations will address issues such as the removal of river barriers, river connectivity, the restoration of wetlands and riparian forests, hydraulic modelling, bioengineering, monitoring using environmental DNA and adaptation to climate change.
River Pitch, a flexible format for sharing innovative ideas
One of the most dynamic features of the conference will be the “River Pitch” format, which will bring together over a hundred short presentations on river restoration projects carried out in various regions of Spain and Portugal.
These presentations will provide an opportunity to share experiences on the demolition of dams and weirs, the restoration of meanders, environmental education, water governance, ecological connectivity, river nature reserves and flood resilience strategies.
Professional moderators and specialists
The various sessions will be moderated by leading professionals and specialists in the field of river restoration and environmental management. They include Gaizka Aranguren, Francesc Sabater, Francisco Martínez, Teresa Gil, Francisco Núñez, Rosa Gurí, Henar de Meer, Diana Fernandes, Horacio García, Anna Pedescoll, Cristina Buendía, Teresa Zuna, Askoa Ibisate and María García de la Fuente.
The theoretical part of the conference will conclude with a panel discussion on ‘Climate change, flood risk and river restoration’, focusing on the future challenges facing the adaptation of riverine areas in the context of a growing climate emergency.
A visit to Ucero and Abión
On the final day, the group will visit, on the one hand, works to restore lateral connectivity along a middle section of the River Ucero, which was straightened and dredged in the past; and, on the other hand, the River Abión, near its source at Fuentona de Muriel, where a weir that served an abandoned fish farm has been removed.