D2C DaRe to Connect - Supporting Danube Region’s ecological Connectivity by linking Natura 2000 areas along the Green Belt
What is the GreenBelt?
With the European Green Belt, an extraordinary ecological network and living memorial landscape has been developed along the former Iron Curtain. In the area of the INTERREG Danube Transnational Programme (DTB) the European Green Belt connects 10 countries. It forms a backbone of the Pan-European ecological network and can provide a significant contribution to EU Green Infrastructure (GI) and TEN-G.
We dare to connect!
However, the Green Belt still suffers from a certain level of not sufficiently connected habitats and valuable landscapes. The main objective of the „DaRe to Connect (D2C)“ project is therefore the implementation of the EU Danube Strategy by further transnational development of the connectivity of the Green Belt as backbone of EU Green infrastructure (EU GI) by maintaining and enhancing ecosystems and their services.
Technology, nature and people
The project defines feasible ecological corridors between Natura 2000 areas on transnational and macro-regional level by innovative GIS and remote sensing approaches, partly based on newly available EU-Copernicus (Sentinel) data.
Then, the project will provide concrete guidance and recommendations on planning and establishment of transnational ecological corridors connecting Natura 2000 areas on local and regional level, derived from pilot actions.
Results will be mainstreamed via a transnational strategic vision "Green Belt in the Danube Region 2030” to be endorsed by national political stakeholders.
The improvement of capacities of responsible public bodies and NGOs will lead to better understanding as well as to an improved knowledge exchange and cooperation.
PR-work and events will give local/regional people and politicians an understanding of how connectivity and ESS can contribute to human wellbeing.
Project participation and learning interaction will enhance individual capacities of the project partners' staff and other involved institutions to further develop the European Green Belt in the DTP area.
- Start date
- 01-06-2018
- End date
- 31-05-2021
- Budget in Euro
- Overall: 2086654,1
- ERDF Contribution: 1684031,98
- IPA Contribution: 89624
- ENI Contribution: 0
- Call number
- Call 2
- Priority
- Environment and culture responsible Danube region
- Specific objective
- Foster the restoration and management of ecological corridors
Library
Project Partners
| Name | Type | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bavarian branch of BUND, Friends of the Earth Germany, BUND Project Office Green Belt | Lead partner | melanie.kreutz@bund-naturschutz.de | GERMANY |
| Ametyst Non-governmental organization | ERDF partner | marinakova@ametyst21.cz | CZECH REPUBLIC |
| Environment Agency Austria | ERDF partner | maria.stejskal-tiefenbach@umweltbundesamt.at | AUSTRIA |
| University of Vienna, Division of Conservation Biology, Vegetation Ecology and Landscape Ecology | ERDF partner | thomas.wrbka@univie.ac.at | AUSTRIA |
| Őrség National Park Directorate | ERDF partner | i.szentirmai@gmail.com | HUNGARY |
Project News
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D2C - Awareness raising event in the Iron Gate natural park
- 13-02-2019
One of the elements of the DaRe to Connect project is raising of awareness of local stakeholders and population. Thus, the project partner N.F.A. Romsilva - Iron Gates Nature Park Administration organized an event mainly for adult...
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D2C - Field project meeting in the Pilot region 2 in Slovakia
- 03-02-2019
Experts of Slovak project partners the State Nature Conservancy (represented by experts from protected areas Záhorie and Small Carpathians) and the Ekopolis Foundation met in the middle of the Pilot region 2 in Western Slovakia. The purpose of...
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D2C - Analysis of Barriers in the Migration Corridors of Lynx
- 16-01-2019
Lynx is a flagship species in Pilot Region 1. There is a new scientific source of data that identifies migration corridors of lynx in the Czech Republic (prepared by Agency of Nature Conservation of the Czech Republic, 2018). Som the task of the...
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D2C - Year 2018 in review – (Half) A year of connectivity
- 20-12-2018
Dear friends of the “DaRe to Connect” Project, As the year comes to an end, it is time to hold on for a moment and take a look back. Our Interreg project “D2C – DaRe to Connect” started in June and quickly developed from adolescence to maturity....
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D2C - Presentation of the D2C project at the Šumava conference
- 13-12-2018
The conference „Current affairs of research in the Šumava“ is organised every three years. It is organised by the National Park Šumava Administration, the associated partner in the D2C project. This year the conference took place in Srní on 6th...
