India, Jan. 22 -- The last free-flowing and 'truly wild' rivers of Europe are under siege. A new assessment has found that pristine stretches of rivers across the Balkan Peninsula have dropped from 30 to 23 per cent since 2012, a staggering loss of 2,450 river kilometres.

Albania's rivers have especially deteriorated faster than those of any other Balkan country, according to the study published by NGOs Riverwatch and EuroNatur. The reasons for this are hydropower and river regulation, according to a statement by EuroNatur.

The Hydromorphological Status of Balkan Rivers 2025 report has been authored by Ulrich Schwarz of Fluvius Vienna and commissioned by EuroNatur and Riverwatch as part of the Save the Blue Heart of Europe campaign.

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