We have been altering river landscapes for hundreds of years for industry, energy, farming and building houses. River courses have been straightened, regulated, diked and deepened across the world.

Parts of their floodplains, which would usually provide space for overflowing water, have been drained and filled — sometimes with the idea that this could prevent floods. But it turns out: The opposite is the case.

In Germany alone, two-thirds of the floodplains along the 79 main rivers can no longer serve their original purpose of storing excess water because of the dikes built to stop water from reaching them. One third of the remaining floodplain areas are covered by fields and houses.

And that's not just the case in Germany, but across Europe, where 70-90% of floodplains have been environmentally degraded.

And we're paying the price now. As climate change brings more weather extremes, these altered landscapes are more prone to destructive flooding.

An urban wetland region in Germany's east recognized the problem early on.

"We realized 30 years ago already that our industrial, technical advancement has made the forest in this region develop in a wrong direction, that our ecosystem isn't resilient anymore. And that we need to go back to the old ways and let nature work for us," said Mathias Scholz, a floodplain ecologist with the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research in Leipzig, who has been studying the role of rivers and coastal wetlands for decades.

Healthy, functioning floodplains are very important for us, explains Scholz, as they retain water in the landscape for a longer period and act like a sponge. They are natural climate protectors and flood controllers — but only when they are supplied with water.

"This helps plants better withstand drought summers. And when the next flood comes and the river overflows its banks, it can flood nearby forests and meadows. This is one of the most effective insurances against........

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