The thesis examines hydromorphological pressures on the Besnica River and its four selected tributaries. It focuses on both transversal and longitudinal river engineering structures, such as weirs, sluice gates, levees, bank reinforcements, and other types of interventions that influence the hydrological regime, sediment transport, and habitat connectivity. Through field mapping, 244 structures were identified and evaluated according to nine categories. The field survey revealed that official records of such structures are incomplete and insufficient. The results reveal a high degree of river fragmentation, particularly in settled areas, highlighting the need for a systemic approach to managing anthropogenic interventions in rivers and for restoring their ecological functions and longitudinal continuity. Using a multi-criteria analysis, transversal structures on the Besnica River were assessed for their suitability for removal and classified into five groups. To reflect differences in prioritization across individual criteria, two scenarios were developed – an ecological and an economic one. The analysis shows that the removal of the highest-priority transversal structures would restore slightly more than 15% of the river channel under the ecological scenario, and 18% under the economic scenario.
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