What is your motivation for doing this research? By developing tools that can help better understand how river hydro-morphodynamics affects habitat availability, it is possible not onlyto define better environmental management strategies in rivers that are already affected by anthropic impacts, but also to predict and quantify the effects of any future change in the river ecosystem (e.g.by hydropower development).
Why should we defend these wild rivers? Anyone that has ever visited the Balkans will agree on the beauty of their natural landscapes, including some of the last free flowing rivers in Europe. It is extremely important to recognize their value in and by itself, the high and divers ecosystem they sustain, and the intrinsic value they offer to the communities populating these valleys. It is therefore imperative to find a sustainable pathway for development, that considers economic development not at the expenses of nature.