PROGRAMS
Our Programmes
Protecting rivers cannot be achieved through science alone, nor through environmental law alone, nor through public participation alone. Effective protection emerges only when scientific knowledge, democratic governance, cultural engagement and international cooperation reinforce one another within a coherent system of environmental stewardship.
Save Neris has therefore been established not as a collection of individual projects, but as an integrated European platform for understanding, governing and protecting shared river systems.
Our work is built on a simple principle: effective protection begins with understanding. Before ecosystems can be governed responsibly, they must first be observed. Before public policies can improve, they must be informed by reliable evidence. Before societies choose to protect rivers, they must recognise their ecological, cultural and strategic importance.
For this reason, Save Neris organises its work through three interconnected long-term programmes that together form a continuous cycle of environmental governance.
We begin by observing and understanding environmental change through interdisciplinary research and long-term monitoring. This knowledge provides the foundation for better governance, stronger institutions and evidence-based public policy. Lasting protection, however, ultimately depends on society itself. Through culture, education and international exchange, we seek to inspire, connect and build communities of practice capable of protecting Europe's living rivers over the long term.
Rather than operating independently, these programmes reinforce one another. Scientific research informs governance. Governance depends upon reliable evidence and democratic participation. Cultural engagement strengthens environmental awareness, public responsibility and international cooperation. Together they create an integrated European framework for safeguarding shared ecosystems in an era of climate change, geopolitical uncertainty and increasing pressure on natural systems.
Although the Viliya–Neris remains the primary focus of our work, this programme architecture has been designed as a model that can contribute to the protection and governance of transboundary rivers throughout Europe.
Our Integrated Framework
| Programme | Strategic Function |
| Future Rivers Hub | Observe & Understand — generating scientific knowledge through interdisciplinary research, environmental monitoring and integrated analysis of river systems. |
| Peace, Security & Governance | Govern — translating scientific knowledge into environmental governance, democratic participation, European policy and institutional cooperation. |
| River Voices | Inspire • Connect • Learn — strengthening society's relationship with rivers through culture, education, international exchange and communities of practice. |
1. Future Rivers Hub
Observe & Understand
Advancing interdisciplinary research for the future of Europe's living rivers.
Future Rivers Hub serves as the scientific and analytical centre of Save Neris. Its purpose is not simply to document environmental change, but to understand how multiple ecological, legal, technological and geopolitical processes interact within a single river basin.
The Hub investigates how biodiversity loss, climate change, river morphology, infrastructure development, nuclear risks, military mobility and evolving governance frameworks influence the long-term resilience of free-flowing rivers. By integrating ecology, hydrology, environmental law, climate science, public policy and governance studies, it develops interdisciplinary knowledge capable of supporting better public decisions.
Beyond identifying individual threats, Future Rivers Hub examines cumulative transformations that often remain invisible when viewed through isolated institutional perspectives. The Viliya–Neris serves as a European case study through which broader questions of transboundary environmental governance can be explored.
Its research produces scientific publications, policy briefs, legal analyses, comparative European studies, environmental monitoring, geospatial analysis and practical recommendations for decision-makers, researchers and civil society.
Focus Areas
River ecology and hydrology
Climate resilience
Natura 2000
Wild Baltic Salmon
River morphology
Baltic Sea basin
Environmental monitoring
Nuclear and environmental risks
Comparative European river governance
Rivers under pressure
Nature-based solutions
Policy research and foresight
2. Peace, Security & Governance
Govern
Strengthening environmental governance for a changing Europe.
The future of Europe's rivers depends not only on ecological knowledge but also on the quality of the institutions that govern them.
Peace, Security & Governance translates scientific knowledge into better environmental governance, democratic decision-making and public policy. The programme examines how environmental protection, security policy, climate adaptation, infrastructure planning, public finance and European law can be reconciled within a coherent framework for governing shared ecosystems.
Rather than treating environmental protection and security as competing priorities, the programme explores how healthy ecosystems contribute to long-term resilience, democratic stability and peaceful transboundary cooperation.
Particular attention is given to environmental democracy, public participation, transparency, the implementation of European environmental legislation, military mobility, dual-use infrastructure, cumulative environmental impacts and the governance of transboundary rivers.
By connecting environmental law, governance, public policy and peacebuilding, the programme contributes to a European model of river governance that recognises ecological integrity as an essential component of sustainable security.
Focus Areas
Environmental governance
Environmental democracy
Peacebuilding
Sustainable security
Military mobility
Transboundary cooperation
European environmental law
Aarhus Convention
Strategic Environmental Assessment
Good governance
Public participation
Policy development
European advocacy
3. River Voices
Inspire • Connect • Learn
Building a European community around living rivers.
Scientific evidence and sound governance alone cannot protect rivers unless they are supported by informed and engaged societies.
River Voices strengthens the cultural, educational and social dimensions of river protection by connecting people, institutions and disciplines through shared learning and creative collaboration.
The programme brings together artists, researchers, educators, universities, schools, local communities, policy-makers and environmental organisations to explore how rivers shape identities, cultures, histories and democratic life. It supports artistic practice, environmental education, public dialogue and international exchange while encouraging new ways of communicating scientific knowledge and environmental values.
River Voices also serves as the educational and collaborative platform of Save Neris. Through conferences, summer schools, workshops, webinars, study visits, exhibitions, citizen science initiatives and professional exchanges, it helps build a European community of practice dedicated to the protection of shared river systems.
By integrating culture, education and international cooperation, River Voices transforms knowledge into public understanding, strengthens environmental citizenship and fosters long-term partnerships across Europe.
Focus Areas
Arts and culture
Environmental education
Universities and schools
International exchanges
Communities of practice
Citizen science
Conferences and summer schools
Workshops and webinars
Writers, artists and filmmakers
Local communities
Oral history and cultural heritage
Public exhibitions
Publications
Youth engagement
Professional networks
Public dialogue