Sediments, ecosystem services and interrelation with floods and droughts in the AT-CZ border region

The river Thaya forms the border between Austria and the Czech Republic and both countries profit from its usage (e.g. energy production, recreation, fishery). This has negative effects on the river system, like the canalisation and the separation of flood areas. This leads to a change in the sediment transport and thus creates problems with the sedimentary deposition and an increased danger of floods. The separation of meanders leads to an aggravation of the ecological system and the aquatic habitats, and have a negative influence on the biodiversity. Together with floods and droughts, intensified through the climate change, this influences the functionality of ecosystems. SEDECO aims at the support of eco services and biodiversity and the reduction of the consequences of floods and droughts through the building and development of green infrastructure, like the reconnection of meanders, the shore renaturalisation through dead wood structures and the building of islands in reservoir areas. The new hydraulic engineering laboratory as an open research centre forms the basis for ideal green infrastructures together with the measuring that will be untertaken together. The aims include an improved knowledge about the river Thaya and a strategy for mutual sediment management in reservoir areas to minimise the risk of floods and droughts. The morphodynamic of cross-border meander parts and natural or renaturated shores will increase and thus positively influence ecosystem services and biodiversity, especially in terms of fish, macrozoobenthos and birds.
The main outputs are the hydraulic engineering laboratory, a sustainable strategy for the management of sediments for the reservoir area Nové Mlýny, a realised green infrastructure and a guideline for sustainable renaturalisation and the conservation of meanders and river shores to increase the quality of ecosystem services and to reduce the risk of floods and droughts in the cross-border area. The main beneficiaries of the project outputs are (i) the natural environment, the biodiversity along the river Thays and in National parks, (ii) water management authorities in Austria (viadonau, Lower Austria) and in the Czech Republic (PM), (iii) people with and interest in fishery, fauna and flora, (iv) experts, students and researchers, (v) people in the cross-border region, affected by floods and droughts, (vi) the public. Rivers don´t take account of administrative or political borders, and floods, sediments, fish e.g. move over borders. Thus an approach, which is just national/regional/local, is not able to protect and manage river systems. The cross-border cooperation is the only way to guarantee sustainable solutions for the problems addressed in SEDECO. The new approach of SEDECO consists in a monitoring that results in a close collaboration between all partners, a physical and numeric modelling of green infrastructure as well as a strategy of sediment management, the building of green infrastructure and a guideline to renaturalisation.