DanubeSediment_Q2 partners meet in Bratislava

From 9^th to 10^th June 2026, the DanubeSediment_Q2 partners gathered at the Water Research Institute (Výskumný ústav vodného hospodárstva) in Slovakia to review progress, discuss key achievements, and align on the final steps of the project as we entered the last six months of implementation. The first day focused on Danube sediment monitoring and the ongoing sediment budget analysis—both essential components for supporting sustainable sediment management across the Danube Basin.

The second day focused on discussing next steps with the project’s associated strategic partners and how to achieve one of the project's main goals: developing an Integrated Sediment Management Plan for the Danube Basin.

In the afternoon, the meeting room was exchanged for the field, and the partners jointly went on an excursion to explore some of the most relevant sediment-related sites in the Slovak section of the Danube. The first stop was the Gabčíkovo Hydroelectric Power Plant; the history, operation, and significance of this major infrastructure project were presented. From a sediment management perspective, the area is particularly interesting, as the large impoundment upstream of the dam acts as an important zone of sediment deposition.

The excursion continued along the canal and floodplain towards Čunovo. Here, the Čunovo weir and small hydropower plant play a key role in regulating water distribution between the diversion canal and the former Danube riverbed, helping to maintain ecological conditions in the surrounding floodplain while also generating renewable energy.

The excursion provided valuable insights into the complex interactions between river engineering, hydropower production, ecology, and sediment dynamics.