Mura-Drava-Danube

The Danube has a long-standing tradition of transboundary cooperation, which has evolved from the first agreements relating to navigation to a growing interest in the preservation of water quality and the environment. With rising interest in environmental protection, in 1994 eleven riparian States signed the Danube River Protection Convention resulting in the creation of the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR). The ICPDR is the main legal instrument for cooperation and transboundary water management in the Danube River Basin and been assigned responsibility for coordinating the implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive and Floods Directive in the Danube.

Drawing on this solid governance framework, civil society organisations such as WWF, Euronatur, Riverwatch and others promoted the establishment of a transboundary biosphere reserve stretching across five countries. In 2009, the environment ministries of Hungary and Croatia endorsed this proposal by signing a bilateral agreement. Three years later, both governments, together with Austria, Slovenia and Serbia signed a joint declaration to create a Transboundary Biosphere encompassing three rivers – the Danube, the Drava (one of the Danube’s main tributaries) and the Mura (tributary to the Drava).

These commitments have been accompanied by increased efforts to restore hydrological connectivity of the main river courses as well as the floodplains. The development of new funding instruments, such as the Living Danube Partnership, raised investments of 20 million euros involving European funds and contributions from private foundations. Finally, in 2022 the cross-border Mura-Drava-Danube Biosphere Reserve was officially recognised by UNESCO, spanning across 13 protected areas, two Ramsar sites, and six Natura 2000 in an area described as the ‘Amazon of Europe’.

In response to the many alterations of the river landscape linked to navigation, industrial development, agriculture and a heavily regulated regime, restoration strategies in the region are prioritising:
– the recovery of natural morphological features, such as:
* River meanders and stretches, which had been – to a large extent – straightened, narrowed or channelised for navigation, agriculture or flood prevention. However, reinstating the morphology of river meanders can cause the loss of land in neighbouring countries, and therefore creates the need for solid cross-border collaboration
* Islands: to counterbalance the changes in sediment processes that caused a gradual disappearance of island features. In this regard, the Danube WildIsland Ramsar Iniative has set the ambitious goal restoring 912 islands, 3000 km of river and 14,000 hectares of wilderness.

– monitoring the potential of restored floodplain grasslands close to the Morava river (border to Slovakia) for contributing to climate action.
As part of the Horizon REWET project, Universität für Bodenkultur Wien is studying floodplains’ capacity to act as carbon sinks in the ’Untere March Auen’ nature reserve in Austria7. The March-Thaya-Auen in northeastern Austria represents a key Natura 2000 area safeguarding one of the last largely intact lowland floodplain systems along the Danube corridor.

Fed by regular spring floods from the March and Thaya and, in their lower reaches, by backwater from the Danube during summer high flows, these pannonian-influenced floodplains host exceptional biodiversity, with many species reaching their western distribution limits. Their dynamic hydrology, extensive grasslands and intact alluvial habitats make the area crucial for transboundary conservation, ecological connectivity, and climate-relevant ecosystem functions such as water retention and carbon storage.

– selective removal of dykes and embankments, which have disrupted the connection between floodplains, wetlands and the main river courses. These efforts are supported by civil society initiatives, campaigns such as ‘Save the Blue Heart of Europe’ and research projects, including the Horizon RESTORE4Life.

– preventing water pollution and the construction of new hydropower dams and weirs, which pose a major risk to river connectivity and the conservation of migratory fish.

– raising awareness among economic sectors (e.g. navigation) on the benefits of combining Nature-based Solutions and grey infrastructure.
Additionally, for the management of the Morava river floodplain site, horses and cattle have been introduced to support vegetation control and contribute to the ecological functioning of the restored floodplain areas.