IDES Improving water quality in the Danube river and its tributaries by integrative floodplain management based on Ecosystem Services


Nutrient loads transported by the Danube affect its ecological status and have to be reduced, active floodplains can have a significant retention potential. But floodplains are subject to multiple human uses which strongly affect water quality of rivers. So far, these uses were sectorally managed (e.g. flood retention, nature conservation, agriculture), rarely regarding water quality and interactions between sectors. The current DTP-Danube Floodplain Project (DFP) links attempts of improving flood retention and restoration, while water quality is not yet in focus. IDESproject aims to add water quality targets to this effort and improve water quality by developing an integrative floodplain management based on Ecosystem Services (ES). The ES concept in the Danube region is actually not used to proactively manage different activities holistically. The use of a River Ecosystem Service Index in Germany has even shown that water management can be significantly improved by the identification of synergies between the various ES, which reflect the various sectoral interests and targets.
Hence, existing ES evaluation methods in the Danube region with a focus on water quality issues will first be harmonized to the IDES tool and adjusted according to data availability. A spatial analysis will document the actual drivers of water quality along the Danube and its tributaries and of relevant ES in their floodplains. In five pilot areas IDES Danube will be applied: the effect of water quality management scenarios on relevant ES will be assessed in order to derive an optimized concept. Key actors will be trained in using the IDES tool for water quality management, a manual on the implementation of the tool will be elaborated. Based on the results, national action plans with prioritized areas and a joint strategy will be developed to improve water quality at transnational level regarding the Danube river basin management plan and targets of PA4 and PA6 of the EUSDR.
 
Improving water quality in the Danube river and its tributaries by integrative floodplain management based on Ecosystem Services
Start date
01-07-2020
End date
31-12-2022
Budget in Euro
Overall: 1951170
ERDF Contribution: 1581388.45
IPA Contribution: 77106.05
ENI Contribution: 0
Call number
Call 3
Priority
Environment and culture responsible Danube region
Specific objective
Strengthen transnational water management and flood risk prevention

Project Partners

Name Type Email Country
Catholic University of Eichstaett-Ingolstadt Lead partner barbara.stammel@ku.de Germany
University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna ERDF partner thomas.hein@boku.ac.at Austria
UNIVERSITY OF BUCHAREST ERDF partner relu_constantin.giuca@g.unibuc.ro Romania
Middle Tisza District Water Directorate ERDF partner tiszaoffice@kotivizig.hu Hungary
WWF Romania ERDF partner cionescu@wwfdcp.ro Romania
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Project News

  • IDES - Floodplains are able to reduce nutrient pollution, but not enough. The agricultural sector needs to step up efforts
    - 30-12-2022
    Floodplains are able to reduce nutrient pollution, but not enough. The agricultural sector needs to step up efforts

    A new scientific modelling shows that Danube River Basin floodplains - if restored - could retain more nitrogen and phosphorus. But for pollutant values to drop significantly the agricultural sector needs to reduce emissions as well. The IDES...

  • IDES - The second workshop on the Koviljsko-Petrovaradinski Rit Special Nature Reserve, Serbia
    - 05-12-2022
    The second workshop on the Koviljsko-Petrovaradinski Rit Special Nature Reserve, Serbia

    The second stakeholders' workshop for the Serbian Pilot Area of the IDES project took place inside the pilot area (Special Nature Reserve Koviljsko‐Petrovaradinski rit), in the village of Kovilj, on May 31st, 2022. The workshop was...

  • IDES - The Tisza pilot area second workshop
    - 05-12-2022
    The Tisza pilot area second workshop

    The second workshop for the Hungarian pilot area was held in Szolnok, on June 30, 2022, with an attendance of  17 participants.  According to the participants, the most significant pressures in the region of the pilot area are drought and...

  • IDES - Brăila Islands' second workshop
    - 05-12-2022
    Brăila Islands' second workshop

    The second workshop dedicated to the Romanian pilot area of the IDES project brought together 32 participants - most of them from sectoral agencies as well as higher education and research fields. It took place in the city of Brăila, near the...

  • IDES - Mura River Pilot Area's second workshop
    - 04-12-2022
    Mura River Pilot Area's second workshop

    The Slovenian second workshop of the project was hosted by the spa resort of Radenci, located in the Mura river pilor area. 15 participants were present in the event which took place on May 19th, 2022.  During the first part, the conceptual...

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