Protecting and restoring ecological connectivity in the Mura-Drava-Danube river corridor through cross-sectoral cooperation

Programme 2014 - 2020 INTERREG VB Danube

Date of latest update: 2024-03-22

Description

Description (EN):

Mura, Drava and Danube (MDD) form the lifeline of one of the most valuable river corridors in the Danube Basin. However, connectivity within the corridor is reduced due to human-made changes to rivers and their natural processes. While DTP-project coopMDD established a living cooperation between Protected Area managers and a Transboundary Management Programme for the planned 5-country Biosphere Reserve MDD, the knowledge base and transboundary cross-sectoral cooperation stays insufficient. This leads to unused opportunities for synergies between multiple aims in river management. lifelineMDD addresses these issues with a cross-sectoral partnership, aiming to improve connectivity and biodiversity within the MDD river corridor by restoration of natural river dynamics. The development of a strategic integrated approach to river restoration in the transboundary bio-corridor will be based on scientific studies of bio-indicators fish and river birds and abiotic framework conditions sediment transport and climate change. A cross-sectoral learning process between nature protection and water management authorities based on pilot restoration actions will raise institutional competences and cooperation between key stakeholders. Involvement of NGOs, local and national policy levels will ensure sustainability of results by awareness raising in the local population and development of lasting stakeholder platforms. By providing an integrated transboundary strategic framework for river restoration based on research, pilot restoration and joint learning, lifelineMDD will strongly contribute to the DTP objective of protecting and restoring ecological corridors and raise cooperation between main actors. The project contributes to close connectivity gaps defined in the EUSDR study “Ecological Connectivity in the Danube Region”, e.g. research gaps on complex ecological processes, cooperation gap between nature protection and other sectors, geographic gap on tributary rivers.

Achievements (EN):

A lot has been achieved during the two-and-a-half years of this project. The vision of a 5-country Biosphere Reserve Mura-DravaDanube, on which the project was built, turned into reality in September 2021 when the UNESCO MAB Committee officially accepted the area’s nomination as a biosphere reserve. The TBR MDD thus became the world’s first five-country biosphere reserve. Lifeline MDD continued the transboundary efforts of its predecessor project coop MDD to harmonise the protection and management of the five-country area spread across Austria, Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia and Serbia. It kept cooperation alive and continued the efforts to establish a project-independent structure and basis for joint work towards the TBR MDD goals even outside of projects. The lifeline MDD consortium acted proactively on the premise that the TBR MDD will become a reality through concrete actions and took the first steps to implement the Transboundary Cooperation Programme defined within the coop MDD project. The project produced first joint monitoring data for biotic and abiotic factors relevant to the riverine ecosystem and created a metadatabase of relevant scientific data for the area, both as starting puzzle pieces of a future joint database and science-based conservation and restoration activities in future. The jointly developed River Restoration Strategy formulates shared understanding and recognition of the need for restoration, while also representing a joint commitment to future cooperation in applied restoration. The three pilot restoration sites and the learning process that accompanied their implementation naturally develop partnership and support building up know-how that has long-term effects and enables implementation of the TBR’s long-term vision well beyond the individual projects’ life cycle.

Website: http://www.interreg-danube.eu/

Expected Results (EN): Intensity of cooperation of key actors in the programme area in order to foster restoration and management of ecological corridors (survey based composite indicator)

Expected Outputs (EN):

The main result of the project is the continous implementation in the future of the strategic and integrated approach to river restoration for the TBR MDD, harmonized on transboundary and cross-sectoral level. As the rivers build the lifeline of the TBR MDD, and the dynamic movement of waters and sediments builds the basis for ecological connectivity within the corridor, this integrated approach to river restoration will greatly contribute to the restoration and integrated management of the MDD river corridor. It will be developed based on the scientific analysis of the status quo of connectivity within the river corridor (WP T1), and on a transboundary cross-sectoral experience exchange process (WP T2). Pilot projects will be planned and implemented within a interdisciplinary partnership as joint learning cases, and for the first time experiences also from past restoration projects (e.g. Life, Interreg) will be jointly reviewed and learnings shared on the 5-country level. Through participation of nature conservation public and non-governmental organizations, water management bodies, local administration and research institutions in this process, the multi-sectoral perspective and acceptance by stakeholders is guaranteed. The results of analyses and experience exchange will lead to the output “TBR MDD river restoration strategy”, which will provide concrete solutions for future restoration works in the region. Its future implementation and further discussion will be ensured through options for lasting stakeholder platforms for the planned TBR MDD, where all key sectors should be involved according to their competences, capacities and interests (WP T4). The acceptance of future restoration works that are fostered through the strategy will be raised through strengthening regional capacities for awareness-raising (WP T3).

Thematic information

Sustainable management of natural resources Waterways, lakes and rivers

Specific Objective: Foster the restoration and management of ecological corridors (short title). Strengthen effective approaches to preservation, restoring and management of bio-corridors and wetlands of transnational relevance to contribute to the better conservation status of ecosystems of European relevance

Thematic Objective: (06) preserving and protecting the environment and promoting resource efficiency by:

Investment Priority: (06d) Protecting and restoring biodiversity and soil and promoting ecosystem services, including through Natura 2000, and green infrastructure

Partners (12)

Lead Partner: Umweltverband WWF Österreich

Address: Ottakringer Straße 114-116, 1160 Wien, Austria

Legal status: private

Website: http://www.wwf.at

Total budget: EUR 520 798.95

ERDF budget: EUR 442 679.11

Universität für Bodenkultur Wien

Name: Universität für Bodenkultur Wien

Department: Department of Water, Atmosphere and Environment

Address: Muthgasse 18/V, 1190 Wien, Austria

Legal status: public

Website: http://www.wau.boku.ac.at

Total budget: EUR 415 813.38

ERDF budget: EUR 353 441.37

WWF ADRIA – UDRUGA ZA ZAŠTITU PRIRODE I OČUVANJE BIOLOŠKE RAZNOLIKOSTI

Name: WWF ADRIA – UDRUGA ZA ZAŠTITU PRIRODE I OČUVANJE BIOLOŠKE RAZNOLIKOSTI

Address: Gundulićeva 63, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia

Legal status: private

Website (not verified): http://www.adria.panda.org

Total budget: EUR 346 588.80

ERDF budget: EUR 294 600.48

Amt der Steiermärkischen Landesregierung – Abteilung 14 Wasserwirtschaft, Ressourcen und Nachhaltigkeit

Name: Amt der Steiermärkischen Landesregierung – Abteilung 14 Wasserwirtschaft, Ressourcen und Nachhaltigkeit

Department: Department 14 Water Management, Resources and Sustainability

Address: Wartingergasse 43, 8010 Graz, Austria

Legal status: public

Website: http://www.wasserwirtschaft.steiermark.at

Total budget: EUR 266 295.00

ERDF budget: EUR 226 350.75

Zavod Republike Slovenije za varstvo narave

Name: Zavod Republike Slovenije za varstvo narave

Address: Tobačna ulica 5, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia

Legal status: public

Website: http://www.zrsvn.si

Total budget: EUR 250 960.00

ERDF budget: EUR 213 316.00

Pomgrad - vodnogospodarsko podjetje

Name: Pomgrad - vodnogospodarsko podjetje

Address: Lipovci 256/b, 9231 Beltinci, Slovenia

Legal status: private

Website: http://www.pomgrad.si

Total budget: EUR 206 852.00

ERDF budget: EUR 175 824.20

Pokrajinski zavod za zaštitu prirode

Name: Pokrajinski zavod za zaštitu prirode

Address: Radnička 20a, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia

Legal status: public

Website: http://www.pzzp.rs

Total budget: EUR 200 072.40

IPA2 budget: EUR 170 061.54

Regionalmanagement Südoststeiermark. Steirisches Vulkanland GmbH

Name: Regionalmanagement Südoststeiermark. Steirisches Vulkanland GmbH

Address: Grazertorplatz 3, 8490 Bad Radkersburg, Austria

Legal status: public

Website: http://www.vulkanland.at

Total budget: EUR 188 550.50

ERDF budget: EUR 160 267.92

Javna ustanova za upravljanje zaštićenim dijelovima prirode Varaždinske županije

Name: Javna ustanova za upravljanje zaštićenim dijelovima prirode Varaždinske županije

Address: Stanka Vraza 4, 42000 Varaždin, Croatia

Legal status: public

Website: http://www.priroda-vz.hr

Total budget: EUR 184 700.00

ERDF budget: EUR 156 995.00

Občina Velika Polana

Name: Občina Velika Polana

Address: Velika Polana 111, 9225 Velika Polana, Slovenia

Legal status: public

Website: http://www.velika-polana.si

Total budget: EUR 150 290.00

ERDF budget: EUR 127 746.50

WWF Magyarország Alapítvány

Name: WWF Magyarország Alapítvány

Address: Álmos vezér útja 69/a, 1141 Budapest, Hungary

Legal status: private

Website: http://www.wwf.hu

Total budget: EUR 148 256.26

ERDF budget: EUR 126 017.82

Svetska organizacija za Prirodu Adria- Srbija

Name: Svetska organizacija za Prirodu Adria- Srbija

Address: Đure Jakšića 4a/8, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia

Legal status: private

Website (not verified): http://www.wwfadria.rs

Total budget: EUR 108 611.90

IPA2 budget: EUR 92 320.12

Partners map

Partners and Projects info

World Wide Fund for Nature Austria - WWF Austria

Protecting and restoring ecological connectivity in the Mura-Drava-Danube river corridor through cross-sectoral cooperation

Partners and Projects info

University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna

Protecting and restoring ecological connectivity in the Mura-Drava-Danube river corridor through cross-sectoral cooperation

Partners and Projects info

WWF ADRIA – ASSOCIATION FOR NATURE PROTECTION AND BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION

Protecting and restoring ecological connectivity in the Mura-Drava-Danube river corridor through cross-sectoral cooperation

Partners and Projects info

Office of the Styrian Government – Department 14 Water Management, Resources and Sustainability

Protecting and restoring ecological connectivity in the Mura-Drava-Danube river corridor through cross-sectoral cooperation

Partners and Projects info

Institute of the Republic of Slovenia for Nature Conservation

Protecting and restoring ecological connectivity in the Mura-Drava-Danube river corridor through cross-sectoral cooperation

Partners and Projects info

Pomgrad - water management company

Protecting and restoring ecological connectivity in the Mura-Drava-Danube river corridor through cross-sectoral cooperation

Partners and Projects info

Institute for Nature Conservation of Vojvodina Province

Protecting and restoring ecological connectivity in the Mura-Drava-Danube river corridor through cross-sectoral cooperation

Partners and Projects info

Regional Management SO

Protecting and restoring ecological connectivity in the Mura-Drava-Danube river corridor through cross-sectoral cooperation

Partners and Projects info

Public institution for management of protected parts of nature in Varaždin County

Protecting and restoring ecological connectivity in the Mura-Drava-Danube river corridor through cross-sectoral cooperation

Partners and Projects info

Municipality Velika Polana

Protecting and restoring ecological connectivity in the Mura-Drava-Danube river corridor through cross-sectoral cooperation

Partners and Projects info

World Wide Fund for Nature Hungary

Protecting and restoring ecological connectivity in the Mura-Drava-Danube river corridor through cross-sectoral cooperation

Partners and Projects info

World Wide Fund for Nature Adria - Serbia

Protecting and restoring ecological connectivity in the Mura-Drava-Danube river corridor through cross-sectoral cooperation

Lead partner

Project partner

Summary

Project name (EN): Protecting and restoring ecological connectivity in the Mura-Drava-Danube river corridor through cross-sectoral cooperation

Project acronym: lifelineMDD

Project start date: 2020-07-01

Project end date: 2022-12-31

Project status: closed

Total budget/expenditure: EUR 2 987 789.19

Total EU funding (amount): EUR 2 539 620.81

Co-financing sources:

ERDF: Amount, EUR 2 277 239.16.
IPA/IPA II/IPA III: Amount, EUR 262 381.66.

Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project

Financing programme

2014 - 2020 INTERREG VB Danube

Last month that data in keep.eu was retrieved from the Programme's website or received from the Programme

2023-09-22

No. of projects in keep.eu / Total no. of projects (% of projects in keep.eu)

155 / 155 (100%)

No. of project partnerships in keep.eu / Total no. of project partnerships (% of project partnerships in keep.eu)

1 582 / 1 582 (100%)

Notes on the data

Information provided by the Programme. Achievements were retrieved by Interact from the Programme website (http://www.interreg-danube.eu/), or a website directly linked from it, on 2021-10-06, 2023-01-10 and 2024-01-30.

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Protecting and restoring ecological connectivity in the Mura-Drava-Danube river corridor through cross-sectoral cooperation

Description

Thematic information

Partners (12)

Partners map

Summary

Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project

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