Restoration of Wetlands in Middle Danube

This project is first example of a cross-border cooperation in wetland restoration and integrated management of wetlands in this area that adress common nature protection challenges by developing and demonstrating innovative solutions for improving wetland conservation status and their capacity to deliver ecosystem services to the society in particular flood mitigation. Project approach is to demonstrate inter-sectorial cooperationand integrated implementation of various EU Directives and conventions for solving contemporary problems of river and wetland ecosystems.
Main outputs are:
- Cross-border wetland monitoring systems that will provide indicators and enable efficient monitoring of conservation status of wetland habitats and changes in their ecological character. It will enably identifuing negative changes in wetlands at earliest stage and timely proposing management measures to eliminate negative changes.
- Jointly developed plans for restoration of wetland habits 6 pilot areas withincross-border region.
- Implemeted small scale wetland restoration will Improve conservation status of wetland and their flood control capacity which will serve as showcase for other similar areas.
Main target groups that will increase knowledge, awarenss, devlope skills and change atitude towards nature prtoection are: protected areas managers, sectoral agencies, primary schools and high educationl org, local governmet, NGOs, Ministry for environment from both countries. They will gain knowledege and skills for integrated wetland management monitoring and restoration, while wide public will ncrease awareness and thus offer suport for nature protection activites. Ecosystem shared by the countries, protected on one side of border without protection on the other side do not generate efficient and sustainable results without cross-border cooperation that is promoted and fostered in this projectDisaster response capability in the programme area.Result (R); contribution (C); target values (TV); source of verification (SV).
R1: Increased cross-sectoral stakeholders capacity to conduct restoration and cross-border monitoring of wetland ecosystems. C: Improved flood protection in the region and capacitated target groups to deal at the same time with nature and flood risk management. TV: Increased capacity for 50 stakeholders. SV: questionnaires.
R2: Cross-border wetland monitoring systems. C: Identified negative changes in wetland habitat at earliest stage and timely proposed management measures to eliminate cause of negative changes. TV: 6 operated monitoring systems. SV: Project report.
R3: Developed joint plan for restoration of wetland habits in cross border areas. C: Assessment of the habitats and biodiversity status and the description of the planned measures (scope, execution and design of the restoration) including detail maps; Improved planning for improving conservation status of wetland and their flood control capacity. TV: 3 pilot areas in Croatia and 3 in Serbia; Surface covered by restoration plans: 39000ha.
R4: Small scale wetland restoration at one location in Serbia and one in Croatia. C: Improved conservation status of wetland and their flood control capacity. TV: Surface covered by restoration in the field 144 ha; SV: Project report, filed visit.
R5: Raised public awareness on the importance of wetland ecosystems in flood disaster mitigation; C: Acceptance and support for wetland protection and restoration amongst locals.; 180 stakeholders. SV: Open forums Particiant’s lists; Reports.
All baselines are 0, identified from results of previous similar projects implemented by partners. All results are addressing direct target group needs for monitoring and habitats management knowledge and skill and practice. All results contribute to increasing flood disaster response capability in the programme area, and Programme result indicator.