DanubeSediment_Q2

DanubeSediment_Q2 aims to improve the management of sediment quantity and quality in the Danube River Basin to achieve environmental objectives. The main output is the first Integrated Sediment Management Plan (ISMP) for the Danube River Basin. We will recommend concrete solutions and upscaling options to be taken up by International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR) in the next Danube River Basin Management Plan as well as Flood Risk Management Plan. This plan will build on the DRB Sediment Improvement Strategy for Solutions building on concrete case studies in each partner country using up to date monitoring and modelling. To achieve this for the first time an improved and extended, combined sediment quantity and quality monitoring network and the outputs (i) new hydromorphological assessment method and (ii) sediment risk assessment method will be essential. Of central importance are the sediment management measures developed in an innovative co-design approach including 55 partners as well as stakeholders. These methods and measures will be tested in nine case study sites leading to practical solutions. The uptake of the outputs by the responsible institutions ICPDR, Sava Commission and national governments will lead to achievable results within the project and further on. To achieve these results, a transnational cooperation is needed. The value of this transnational cooperation is given by the fact, that sediments are transported from the mountains to the coast and thus only a joint effort of the countries along the Danube and the tributaries in the river basin will allow to improve sediment management. This will be reached by the initiated sediment cooperation between the Danube Basin countries, including governments, relevant stakeholders as well as interested groups. The DanubeSediment_Q2 consortium includes members from 14 different countries of the Danube River Basin. All riparian countries along the Danube River are represented in the consortium and also four countries from the Danube River Basin. Therefore, DanubeSediment_Q2 has excellent roots and connections in the Danube region and to larger transnational networks of local actors and communities, key opinion leaders and collaborators in the Danube River Basin to ensure successful implementation. Since the consortium consists of governmental institutions, NGOs, companies, research organizations, national parks, environmental agencies representing a wide range of professional experiences from engineering to ecology the needed expertise is available. In obtaining the defined outputs and results, it will be possible to contribute to the Significant Water Management Issue “Sediment Balance Alterations” firstly included in the 3rd Danube River Basin Management Plan. This decision to include sediment alteration was based on the projects DanubeSediment and SIMONA. These projects showed that the Danube has a completely disturbed sediment system, where either surplus or deficit of sediments dominate, also in relation to uncontrolled erosion and deposition of polluted sediments. Thus, there is an urgent need to improve the quantity and quality of sediments by harmonized management practices being not yet defined in the Danube River Basin Management Plan. The DanubeSediment_Q2 project will facilitate an improved sediment balance and morphodynamics ensuring a good sediment quantity and quality. This will lead to a restored sediment continuity at barriers, a reduced sedimentation in impoundments, reduced riverbed and coastal erosion and control on polluted sediment transport. Consequently, a dynamic river morphology, a decreased flood risk, an improved groundwater level, river ecosystem, navigation and hydropower are envisaged.

 To achieve these results, a transnational cooperation is needed. The value of this transnational cooperation is given by the fact, that sediments are transported from the mountains to the coast and thus only a joint effort of the countries along the Danube and the tributaries in the river basin will allow to improve sediment management. This will be reached by the initiated sediment cooperation between the Danube Basin countries, including governments, relevant stakeholders as well as interested groups. The DanubeSediment_Q2 consortium includes members from 14 different countries of the Danube River Basin. All riparian countries along the Danube River are represented in the consortium and also four countries from the Danube River Basin. Therefore, DanubeSediment_Q2 has excellent roots and connections in the Danube region and to larger transnational networks of local actors and communities, key opinion leaders and collaborators in the Danube River Basin to ensure successful implementation. Since the consortium consists of governmental institutions, NGOs, companies, research organizations, national parks, environmental agencies representing a wide range of professional experiences from engineering to ecology the needed expertise is available. In obtaining the defined outputs and results, it will be possible to contribute to the Significant Water Management Issue “Sediment Balance Alterations” firstly included in the 3rd Danube River Basin Management Plan. This decision to include sediment alteration was based on the projects DanubeSediment and SIMONA. These projects showed that the Danube has a completely disturbed sediment system, where either surplus or deficit of sediments dominate, also in relation to uncontrolled erosion and deposition of polluted sediments.

Thus, there is an urgent need to improve the quantity and quality of sediments by harmonized management practices being not yet defined in the Danube River Basin Management Plan. The DanubeSediment_Q2 project will facilitate an improved sediment balance and morphodynamics ensuring a good sediment quantity and quality. This will lead to a restored sediment continuity at barriers, a reduced sedimentation in impoundments, reduced riverbed and coastal erosion and control on polluted sediment transport. Consequently, a dynamic river morphology, a decreased flood risk, an improved groundwater level, river ecosystem, navigation and hydropower are envisaged.