Project Title: DANUBE4all - "Danube river basin lighthouse – restoration of fresh and transitional water ecosystems"
Project budget: € 7,968,216.13
Co-financing source: Horizon Europe programme
Project duration: January 2023 – December 2027
Summary:
DANUBE4all will develop a fundamental and fully public Restoration Action Plan for the Danube basin lighthouse of the Mission “Restore our ocean and waters by 2030”. This Action Plan will:
• be informed by testing in Demonstration Sites and knowledge exchange in Danube Synergy Sites (cooperation sites with other e.g. LIFE projects),
• give a vision for upscaling restoration to the whole Danube basin,
• inspire replication of restoration solutions in Associated Regions.
This Danube Basin Restoration Action Plan will be
• scientifically based,
• practically oriented,
• attracting and involving people, businesses, stakeholders, practitioners and decision makers, and thus form an important basis for the next update of the Danube River Basin Management Plan, the Danube Flood Risk Management Plan and future National River Basins Management Plans.
Objectives:
The overall objective of DANUBE4all is the combined societal co-creation and science-based development of a Danube Basin Restoration Action Plan that integrates
• inhabitants’ interests,
• ecological status and biodiversity improvement, ecosystem connectivity,
• economic interests,
• flood and drought risk reduction,
• enhancement of sediment continuity.
To attain the overall aim and to build a solid basis for the DANUBE4all lighthouse (Figure 1), we will:
1. produce a comprehensive scientific knowledge base ready for application. Using this knowledge, data and process understanding, DANUBE4all will identify, evaluate, prioritize, implement and upscale effective and profitable Win2 NBS restoration measures to enhance the free-flowing status of the river ecosystem.
2. implement demonstration activities and business cases at 3 sites in 3 countries, provide tools for upscaling innovative Win2 NBS restoration activities to 10 Danube Synergy Sites and to the whole Danube basin.
3. mobilize citizens for river stewardship and stimulate economic benefits by business cases to stimulate and boost future implementation of Win2 NBS measures.
4. transfer the outcomes, knowledge and tools gained in the Danube basin to 5 Associated Regions via concrete steps towards improved capacity and the development of replication roadmaps for restoration action.