Since starting such projects we are convinced that removing barriers in rivers is arguably one of the most effective restoration measures. Some of our successes include:

• Opening up > 2945 km over the last three years, including removing 18 barriers in 2024 from Finland, Germany, Latvia, Croatia and Portugal.
• Fundraising >€ 4 million for projects.
• Initiating >65 barrier removal projects this year.
• `building a movement in South Eastern Europe with >800 practitioners engaged in knowledge exchange and capacity building activities and 49 new barrier removal projects.

Our ambition is to work with Dam Removal Europe (DRE) coalition partners to accelerate barrier removal across the continent (starting in South Eastern Europe) and focusing on three important aspects that can support us to enable the growing barrier removal movement:

1. Policy: promoting inclusion of barrier removal in national restoration plans.
2. Funding: ensuring funding available for the network to grow their movement and implement barrier removal projects.
3. Knowledge & know-how: developing capacity and standardized tools /approaches for increasing the number of barrier removals.

What will you be doing?

We need an intern to support this through the following activities:

• Further developing barrier removal guidelines & database for target countries (Southeastern Europe).
• Exploring ideas on how to scale barrier removals using technology, marketing and big-data.
• Support to build the barrier removal movement and pipeline of barriers that can be removed.
• Identify opportunities for increasing barriers removal in line with the Nature Restoration Law.
• Support webinars and training activities.

Who are we looking for?

• A student with at least 2 years of experience in a BSc or MSc related to the field of conservation, freshwater ecology, or similar studies.
• Interest in communications, social sciences and creative background.
• Fluent in English.
• Field experience or experience in an international context are preferred.

What do we offer?

• An internship of 6 months, starting in February/March 2026.
• Students in The Netherlands achieve an allowance of €550,- per month on a full time basis.

Interested?

Please send your CV and motivation letter as soon as possible, but before before December 15th to Aysegul Cil (acil@wwf.nl) and Natascha Zwaal (nzwaal@wwf.nl).