PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
LIFE RESTORE for MDD, ‘Preserving and restoring floodplain forest habitats along the Mura-Drava-Danube rivers, focuses on the conservation and restoration of the largest contiguous riparian forest system in the Danube River Basin. For five years, 17 partners from Austria, Croatia, Hungary, Slovenia, and Serbia will collaborate to stem the degradation of the priority floodplain forest habitat type 91E0* and 91F0. With over 5 000 animal species including 70 different varieties of fish, and more than 1 500 plant species, the stretch is one of Europe´s biodiversity hotspots. Such rich natural diversity is protected by 17 Natura 2000 sites which line the rivers.
Existing threats to these areas will be addressed by an intersectoral project consortium of water managers, nature conservationists, foresters, protected area managers, regional managers, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) through transboundary cooperation in the restoration efforts on 29 sites along the three rivers. Networking with stakeholders and partners outside the consortium, communication, awareness raising, education and monitoring will be key components of sustainable regional development.
The project will be implemented in the Mura-Drava-Danube Transboundary Biosphere Reserve (TBR MDD), which was designated the world’s first five-country riverine reserve by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2021.
Many European rivers and watercourse systems have been altered by human interventions over the past century. Not only have their ecological functions – such as natural flood protection – been impaired, but many habitats and species associated with a natural river system have also been lost. Various European Union (EU) legislations such as the Water Framework Directive (WFD) and the two Natura 2000 Directives aim to improve the situation of Europe's rivers and the species and habitats associated with them. The LIFE RESTORE-for-MDD project serves to implement EU policies to improve the ecological situation of rivers in Europe: in the present case of the Mura-Drava-Danube rivers in the Northern Balkan region.
The three rivers form the longest uninterrupted river corridor in Central Europe with the largest contiguous floodplain forests habitat system in the Danube Basin, often referred to as the ‘Amazon of Europe’. The area hosts the Danube´s most intact floodplain areas, which make up 50 % of the river’s course. Nevertheless, the area has been exposed to negative influences. Along the Mura-Drava-Danube rivers, regulation, unsustainable silvicultural practices, the spread of invasive alien species (IAS), loss of diversity, gene pool depletion, weakly harmonised cross-border restoration planning have the biggest adverse effects on the status of the natural habitat.
Members of the consortium have already piloted several successful initiatives on which the LIFE project can build. These include EU-funded Interreg projects as well as LIFE projects.
OBJECTIVES
The project focuses on the conservation and restoration of the largest riparian forest system in the Danube River Basin. The Croatian-Serbian Danube contributes around 50 % to the most natural hydro-morphological intact river sections along its first 2 000 kilometres (km). This ambitious project encompasses not only large and biodiverse areas but also involves many different stakeholders.
Foreseen measures include:
Reconnection of side channels;
Restoration of oxbows;
Removal of artificial embankments and widening of the riverbed;
Mobilising of gravel and sand;
Creating genetically varied and autochthonous plant availability for long-term restoration actions;
Putting ecologically key floodplain forest sites out of use;
Restoring oxbows and wet meadows;
Creating amphibian ponds;
Removing IAS from floodplain forests;
Natural forest rejuvenation;
Afforestation;
Capacity building and training in state-of-the-art-river restoration, and;
Developing and adopting large-scale pilot river restoration plans.
These types of measures do not normally necessitate technical maintenance in the long term as they seek to nourish natural dynamics. However, requirements will be identified and included in the After-LIFE Plan and are within the responsibility of the corresponding beneficiaries, mostly the managing authority. The lessons learned through this cross-border initiative will provide a good basis for improving specific habitat types. Concrete actions may prove highly relevant and interesting for all central or eastern European authorities intending to improve the conservation status of their habitats. The documentation of the project activities will favour replicability and transferability. Such practices will also be promoted by capacity building and networking with other LIFE projects and restoration experts.
RESULTS
The project interventions focus on safeguarding floodplain forest habitats,
particularly on habitat types 91E0* and 91F0, which are mostly deemed to be in an unfavourable
conservation status. The measures will either directly enhance the targeted habitats or bolster the ecological conditions on a total area of at least 2 472 hectares (ha).
The main expected results of the project are:
Removal of embankments and creation of natural riverbanks on 3.4 km;
Restoring 2 472 ha of floodplains (91E0* and 91F0);
54 230 metres (m) of improved water bodies;
Invasive alien species(Himalayan balsam Impatiens glandulifer; Indigo bush Amorpha fruticos; japanese knotweed Ryenoutria japonica; Giant goldenrod Solidago gigantea) will be removed on a total area of 142 ha
Mobilization of at least 966 000 m³ of river sediment;
Hydrological conditions revamped in an area of 1918 ha;
More sustainable forests on 336 ha;
Integrative cross-border river restoration planning on three pilot river stretches will ensure sustainable results;
Project publications will reach 24 400 persons;
Project public events will target 12 000 persons;
More than 2300 people participating to trainings;
Awareness raising for protected areas and project activities within local communities will extend to 40 000 people;
Educational activities within the Mura-Drava-Danube area will reach 10 600 people, and;
The project will be presented at circa 15 national LIFE platforms and at several international conferences.
