River Restoration: A Multidisciplinary Approach

The book Renaturation of Watercourses: A Multidisciplinary Approach, published by EPFL Press (Presses polytechniques et universitaires romandes) in August 2026, edited by Jean-Louis Boillat, Pierre-André Frossard, Philippe Heller, and Jean-Marc Ribi.

Laurent Duclos Published on September 23, 2026

Background and Purpose of the Book

This 672-page, richly illustrated book aims to fill a ?real gap? in French-language technical literature on river restoration by bringing together contributions from numerous specialists (hydrologists, ecologists, civil engineers, landscape architects, lawyers, economists, etc.).

His ambition is twofold:

To provide a comprehensive overview of the challenges, methods, and constraints of river restoration, from hydromorphological assessment through project design, implementation, and monitoring.

Promote dialogue across disciplines so that each professional can understand the practices, methods, and terminology of related fields and thus better coordinate their efforts with other stakeholders.

Structure and Content

The book is organized around the following main themes, which are characteristic of a ?multidisciplinary approach?:

Issues and Context: history of river channelization, disruptions to the water cycle and biodiversity, and changes in public policy and regulations (WFD, LEMA, management plans, etc.).

Natural Functioning of Waterways: river dynamics, hydromorphology, erosion-transport-deposition processes, the role of wetlands and floodplains.

Assessment and Project Design: characterization methods (hydromorphological indices, biological monitoring), definition of objectives (ecological, hydraulic, landscape, social), development scenarios.

Technical and Engineering Aspects: design principles for the project (reconnecting meanders, removing structures, reshaping riverbanks, sediment management), material selection, hydraulic monitoring, and stability.

Environmental aspects: habitat restoration, ecological connectivity, effects on aquatic and riparian biodiversity, indicators of success.

Governance, consultation, and socioeconomic aspects: coordination among stakeholders (local governments, state agencies, consulting firms, organizations, and users), funding, cost-benefit analysis, and social acceptability.

Feedback: Real-world case studies, including objectives, challenges encountered, solutions implemented, and initial results.

Who is this book intended for?

This book is designed to serve as a shared reference tool for:

project owners (local governments, river management associations, government agencies),
engineering firms and engineers (hydraulic engineering, civil engineering, environmental engineering),
ecologists and naturalists,
landscape architects and urban planners,
lawyers and economists involved in renaturation projects.

It enables everyone to become familiar with the terminology and constraints of other disciplines, which is essential for designing and implementing restoration projects that are ecologically effective, hydraulically safe, and socially acceptable.