Restoration of Vienna's urban riverside habitats - Peer review site visit

The study visit in Vienna was not just a professional program, but also an inspiring journey into the future of urban nature and water management.

Organized by WWF Hungary, the visit brought together partners of the RestoRiver Interreg project to explore how a major city can become a living laboratory for climate adaptation and ecological innovation. The day began at the Inselinfo center, where presentations of various LIFE projects highlighted how Vienna is responding to the challenges of climate change—from heatwaves to increasingly frequent floods.

During the field visits, the Donauinsel offered a particularly vivid example of how flood protection infrastructure can be transformed into a multifunctional, living ecosystem. Within the LIFE DICCA project, the focus was not only on preserving biodiversity but also on creating a “cooling island” to mitigate the urban heat island effect, while still serving as a popular recreational area.

Its diverse habitats—meadows, forest strips, and shallow water bodies—demonstrate how nature-based solutions can be successfully combined with urban needs.

23/04/2026

By Pinija Poljaković

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