DANUBEPARKS – bringing Danube-wide cooperation onto the ground

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DANUBEPARKS – bringing Danube-wide cooperation onto the ground

Labelled as a ‘flagship project’ by the EU Strategy for the Danube Region and a finalist for the European Riverprize, the Danube River Network of Protected Areas project is helping to protect the Danube as an inspiring lifeline.

The Protected Areas of the DANUBEPARKS network preserve and restore the most valuable habitats of the Danube River Basin, thus safeguarding an important part of Europe’s natural heritage for future generations. Initiatives towards habitat connectivity will be the focus for future DANUBEPARKS work – islands as stepping stones within a Danube Wild Island Corridor.
© DANUBEPARKS/Persina Nature Park/Alexander Ivanov

The Danube River hosts outstanding biodiversity and its relevance for nature conservation in South-East Europe is reflected by the high number of protected sites along its course, preserving unique areas with ecological, scientific and cultural significance.

In 2007, DANUBEPARKS was established to foster conservation agendas on a transnational level and to raise the capacity of each single protected area. Through intense exchange of experiences and the development and implementation of Danube- wide conservation strategies, Danube Protected areas have tackled habitat management, protection of Danube flagship species and nature tourism on a Danubewide scale for the first time. Funded by the ETC Programme for South East Europe, the two-year DANUBEPARKS STEP 2.0 follow-up project has been just been finalised.

River Morphology – the key for long term preservation. Natural morphological processes are the key for long-term preservation of the Danube River ecosystem. All Danube protected areas are drivers for river restoration, and DANUBEPARKS promotes river dynamics.

Within the ICPDR Joint Danube Survey 3, the DANUBEPARKS project monitored indicator species for river morphology – Little Ringed Plover and Sand Martin. Monitoring showed that only Danube sections in good hydro-morphological conditions can host relevant numbers of these characteristic bird species. The results are a clear appeal towards consequent protection of intact Danube section and river restoration wherever possible.

Cooperation across sectors. Considering the multi-functionality of the Danube River, cross-sectorial cooperation is a daily matter for protected areas and cooperation was intensified with NEWADA Duo, the Network of Danube Waterway Administration, within DANUBEPARKS STEP 2.0. Fruitful workshops resulted in the identification of future fields of cooperation and in the joint elaboration of initiatives like WILDisland – The Danube Wild Island Habitat Corridor. Concepts for side arm restoration at the Drava River and modelling local sediment management activities stress the intention of DANUBEPARKS to contribute proactively to an integrative river management.

Danube-wide perspectives for flagship species. The White-tailed Eagle is an umbrella species for the protection of large-scale wetlands and in South-East Europe the Danube River is the backbone for its population. The “White-tailed Eagle Action Plan”, adopted in 2011 by the Council of Europe, forms the foundation for conservation activities.

In January 2014, the protected areas joined up with experts from BirdLife, WWF and other NGOs to organise the first Danubewide winter count of the White-tailed Eagle. This first report stresses the importance of the Danube as a wintering area for up to 750 eagles, and is an essential instrument in planning future protection measures.

The Black Poplar is the giant of the Danube river ecosystem. These gnarled trees give the landscape personality and provide important habitat structures for many other animal species. Due to intensive forestry practices, the Black Poplar has continued to face loss of natural regeneration areas and hybridisation with poplars from forestry plantations. Based on a mapping of Black Poplars in all the Danube protected areas, a cadastre has now been published. Numerous trees in each protected area were genetically and morphologically tested and the results underline the need for active intervention in every protected area to preserve genetic variability. Reforestation measures have already been undertaken with local Black Poplar seedlings to reverse the trend by enabling wetland forests to reconquer the space they originally inhabited along the Danube.

Bridging conservation and community. Danube protected areas share responsibility in creating awareness of environmental issues, particularly among local populations and tourists. To reach these educational goals, high quality programmes are essential. The “Assessment Tour 2014” – visiting more than 40 organisations offering environmental education along the Danube – led to the planning of a DANUBEPARKS visitor centre, to be built close to Budapest by the Duna-Ipoly National Park, and in the development of specific tourism offers (e.g. for people with disabilities).

DANUBEPAR KS Association founded. DANUBEPARKS has become a platform for lively cooperation. The exchange of experience has led to expanded horizons, Danube-wide strategies and concrete protective measures. Yet there is still much to be done. For this reason, the DANUBEPARKS association was founded in August 2014. “In the future, the association will be the voice of the Danube protected areas, promoting our agenda in the political arena and constituting an ongoing framework for cooperation,” says DANUBEPARKS President Carl Manzano (Donau-Auen National Park, Austria).

“We express commitment to further intensify our efforts for our joint Danube natural heritage and to contribute actively to relevant policies like the EU Strategy for the Danube Region, the revision of the Danube River Basin Management Plan and the implementation of Natura 2000,” says Eszter Buchert (Duna Drava National Park, Hungary) and Grigore Baboianu (Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve Authority, Romania) in their roles as DANUBEPARKS vice presidents.

Future priority: habitat corridor. DANUBEPARKS contributes to more coherence and efficiency in the management of protected areas. Facing the responsibility of Danube protected areas serving as an inspiring lifeline of biodiversity, the conservation and further development of the Danube as a habitat corridor and establishing Green Infrastructure along its course is on the top of the agenda for the future work of the Danube River Network of protected areas.

For more information, please visit: www.danubeparks.org.

Georg Frank is the Secretary General of the DANUBEPARKS Network.