NEWADA Duo and DANUBEPARKS STEP 2.0 again organized a cross-sectorial workshop on April 9-10 in the Wachau valley (Austria). Communication and stronger collaboration also on national level were focused. The meeting with around 40 participants was a follow-up to the first joint conference in autumn last year in Hainburg (Austria), then hosted by DANUBEPARKS STEP 2.0.
Now in spring, nature protection and river engineering experts met in the Service Centre Wachau of viadonau in Krems (Austria). NEWADA Duo hosted the meeting in the frame of their Ecological Experts Exchanges. The two-day event focused on how communication and every-day collaboration between ecological and infrastructure projects works. Solutions for further improvement were drafted, and aims of how far the cooperation should reach were discussed. Participants enjoyed the in-depth reflection about the work of both sides, and found the ideas how they could complement each other highly useful.
Carl Manzano, DANUBEPARKS spokesman, refers to the long tradition of successful cooperation between navigation and conservation sector in Austria: “Today for both sectors this cooperation is necessary if they want to achieve their goals.”
Stakeholder management in river engineering projects was explored in more depth along two examples: The Stakeholders involvement during the project on the Danube East of Vienna, as well as Stakeholders’ involvement and transparency of the planning process in Serbia. Such approaches have proven their value in many projects. The experience exchange within NEWADA Duo and DANUBEPARKS STEP 2.0 helps to spread these approaches along the whole river.
The meeting was concluded with a field trip to the Danube River in the Wachau valley, showing several river restoration projects. The excursion was guided by the Arbeitskreis Wachau, who implemented those projects jointly with via donau. Being the nature protection leader in the region and strongly involved in Natura2000 management, the Arbeitskreis Wachau is a potential future member of the DANUBEPARKS Network with high interest to collaborate more intensively.
