MEETINGS WITh stakeholders

The project started the year 2019 with the series of national kick-off events in January in the project countries where partners introduced the project to different stakeholders and discussed flood protection, floodplain restoration, ecosystem services, cost-benefit-analysis and stakeholder engagement in floodplain related projects in workshops.

Throughout the year, project partners organized further meetings with different stakeholder groups. For example, on 20 March a working meeting was held in the Regional Inspection of Environment and Water in Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria. It was attended by representatives of municipalities and water users from the region - the sub-basin of Yantra river. During the meeting the activities of the Danube Floodplain project were presented, focusing on the identification of floodplains along the Danube tributary - Yantra River. On 15 May at a stakeholder meeting in Pleven, Bulgaria maps of delineated draft floodplains in the Bulgarian section of Danube River were also presented and discussed.

For further news from the project, visit News and events on the project's sub-website:

PROJECT PRESENTATIONS at different events 

The Danube Floodplain project was presented at different events throughout the participating countries in 2019. For example, Jaroslav Cerni Institute for the Development of Water Resources (JCWI) organized and participated in UNESCO "International Seminar on Water Equity in Different Regions of the World under the Climate Change" on 23 July and participated the "Nature in the city: Belgrade and Climate Changes".

The project was also presented at the "Annual Scientific Conference of the National Institute of Hydrology and Water Management" (NIHWM) in Bucharest, Romania last November. Information on the overall progress of the implementation of the project activities in 2019 was presented at the session of the Basin Council at the Danube River Basin Directorate on 12 December 2019 in Pleven, Bulgaria.

For further news from the project, visit News and events on the project's sub-website:

first year reviews and steering committee

The First Year Review and Steering Committee meeting took place on 5-6 June 2019 in Bucharest, Romania. The joint event focused on the progress of the activities, their timely implementation and the related spent and validated costs, the progress towards the project objectives and output targets, management and communication of the project, potential risks, problems, delays and their possible solutions, a realistic forecast for the rest of implementation. It is to be based on a constructive dialogue between the programme management and the project partnership to get direct feedback on both sides about the status and perspectives of the project.

Read our news piece on the meetings here.

Stakeholder analysis of ecosystem service workshop in pilot areas

Deliverable D4.2.1. – Stakeholder analysis of ecosystem service workshop in pilot areas has been prepared and uploaded on the project’s sub-website. You can download the document from here.

commemorating danube day 

Project partners distributed a press release to celebrate the Danube Day on 29 June 2019. In their press release Danube Floodplain project partners called for the improvement of the relationship with the Danube and its tributaries and urged steps for a new floodplain and river treatment. Read the complete press release here.

WWF Romania’s VIDEO about the Potelu-Bistret-Rast restoration

Danube’s floodplain in Romania has suffered a lot over the last few decades, because of the climate change, but also because of the dams construction. This fact created disruptions in longitudinal and lateral connectivity, changes in the land use and a massive reduction of natural meadow surfaces. The decline of the area (up to 68% over the past 100 years) has already had a terrible impact on biodiversity and on local communities, frequently exposed to floods.

Watch WWF Romania's video on the story of the Potelu-Bistret-Rast communities here (with English subtitles).