DanubeSediment
Danube Sediment Management – Restoration of the Sediment Balance in the Danube River
General Description
More than a decade ago, the ICPDR identified a changed sediment regime in the Danube River as a critical issue. As the Danube flows through ten countries from the Black Forest to the Black Sea, a transnational project on sediment management was needed to obtain a full picture. The aim was to improve sediment and water management as well as the morphology of the Danube River. To tackle these challenges, 14 project partners and 14 strategic partners came together in the DanubeSediment project for almost three years.
The project calculated the entire sediment balance of the Danube by analysing bathymetrical data, bed material, dredging and feeding. In total, about 733 river kilometres of analysed river length are dominated by erosion, whilst 857 km are dominated by sedimentation.
Innovative Aspects
- Danube-wide sediment balance that analysed the sinks, sources, and redistribution of sediment within the entire Danube.
- Different monitoring instruments and methods from Danubian countries were compared to understand the impacts and risks of sediment deficit and erosion.
- Targeted Stakeholder Workshops for knowledge transfer to key groups: hydropower, navigation, flood risk management, river basin management and ecology.
- Sediment Manual for Stakeholders with concrete examples for implementing good practice measures.
- Danube Sediment Management Guidance (DSMG) with recommendations for reducing the impact of a disturbed sediment balance feeding into the Danube River Management Plan and the Danube Flood Risk Management Plan.
Environmental / Social / Economic Aspects
Environmental: Recommendations for reducing the impact of a disturbed sediment balance on ecological status and flood risk along the river, directly contributing to transnational water management and flood risk prevention via the DRBMP and DFRMP.
Social: Knowledge transfer to stakeholder groups across the entire Danube Basin through targeted workshops and open publications.
Economic: Improved basis for decision-making by hydropower operators, navigation authorities, and flood risk managers.
Link to Spatial Policy
The project directly strengthens transnational water management and flood risk prevention by feeding results into the Danube River Management Plan (DRBMP) and the Danube Flood Risk Management Plan (DFRMP), both issued by the ICPDR.
Challenges & Solutions Applied
A lack of harmonised monitoring data across the 10 Danubian countries hindered a complete analysis, especially in the Lower Danube. The project addressed this by comparing different national monitoring methods and developing a harmonised sediment balance approach. Results confirmed that sedimentation occurs where the river is dammed, while erosion mainly occurs in free-flowing sections.
Συμμετοχή των ενδιαφερόμενων μερών
Targeted international stakeholder workshops were organised for knowledge transfer, supplemented by a Sediment Manual for Stakeholders providing practical guidance for implementing good practice measures. Target groups included hydropower, navigation, flood risk management, and river basin management sectors.
Key Takeaways for Replication
- Establish a harmonised quantity monitoring network across the Danube Basin.
- Set up new monitoring stations and a centralised data storage system.
- Sedimentation tendency is confirmed when a river is dammed; erosion mainly occurs in free-flowing sections.