How the Danube meets the Elbe: SedNet-ICPDR-ICPER Round Table event in November
Sediment Management is an essential element of River Basin Management Plans. Sediment is an essential, integral and dynamic part of our river basins. Where human activities interfere with sediment quantity or quality, sediment management becomes necessary. the European Sediment Network (SedNet), aims at providing scientific and user oriented input into the WFD implementation phase and organised its third Round Table in cooperation with the ICPDR and the International Commission for the Protection of the Elbe River.
This time, the theme of the Round Table Discussion focussed on “Bringing Together Experiences in Sediment Management Concepts - Elbe meets Danube”.
The ICPDR was represented by Sandor Baranya, Madalina David and Igor Liska bringing in input from the ICPDR community.
The objective of this event was to provide a platform for exchanging experiences between both Danube and Elbe river basins to derive generic and specific recommendations for sediment management
based on experiences in selected key river basins taking into account legal requirements, needs of users and scientific advice.
This year, the discussion was specifically focused on methodological approaches of designing and implementing a sediment management concept.
Representatives from other European river basins where similar activities on sediment management have taken place were invited to take part.
Until a few years ago, sediment related quantity and quality issues have played a relatively minor role in the Common Implementation Strategy (CIS) process.
Such Round Tables are an opportunity for sediment management experts to exchange experiences on the integration of sediment management in river basin management.
Central to the EU WFD are River Basin Management Plans, which were published for the first time in 2009. The 2015 update of the ICPDR river basin management plans can be downloaded here: https://www.icpdr.org/activities-projects/river-basin-management-plan-update-2015
SedNet
SedNet started in 2002 as a Thematic Network with funding from the European Commission DGResearch under the 5th RTD Framework Programme.
It was aimed at setting up a European network in the field of “assessment of fate and impact of contaminants in sediment and dredged material and at sustainable solutions for their management and treatment”.
Since 2005 SedNet has run independently from the EC. It brings together experts from science, administration and industry.
It interacts with the various networks in Europe that operate at the national or international level and that focus on specific fields such as science, policy making, sediment management, industry and education.
SedNet is now the European network aimed at incorporating sediment issues and knowledge into European strategies to support the achievement of a good environmental status and to develop new tools for sediment management.
The focus is on all sediment quality and quantity issues on a river basin scale, ranging from freshwater to estuarine and marine sediments.
