Danube Floodplain
Reducing Flood Risk through Floodplain Restoration along the Danube River and Tributaries
ERDF: €2,899,428 · IPA: €222,328
General Description
The Danube Floodplain project addresses flood risk management through floodplain restoration across the Middle and Lower Danube basin. Its main activities include: updating the floodplain areas inventory using the Floodplain Evaluation Matrix (FEM); assessing, through pre-selected pilot areas, the efficiency of floodplain restoration projects; and developing tools for increasing knowledge and cooperation among experts, practitioners, decision-makers and stakeholders.
Innovative Aspects
- Traditional flood risk management is local and infrastructure-based. This project developed regional-scale hydrological models considering a wide range of measures – a novel approach.
- Floodplain Evaluation Matrix (FEM): An original GIS-compatible spatial planning tool for prioritizing restoration projects through data-driven assessment.
- Innovative cross-border hydrological analyses across the Romania–Bulgaria border and at national scale.
- Original manual for assessing the restoration potential of passive floodplains using three hydrological parameters: Peak Flood Wave Reduction, Delay in peak flood, and Impact on extreme flows.
- Danube Floodplain Online Course (6 modules) – open access and free of charge, covering introduction, flood risk management, floodplain management, technical restoration aspects, decision support tools.
Environmental / Social / Economic Aspects
Environmental criteria used:
- Connectivity of water bodies
- Presence of protected species and habitats
- Naturalness of ecosystems
- Potential for typical natural habitats
Social criteria: Potentially affected buildings and land use considered in restoration potential assessments.
Economic: Cost-benefit analysis combined with ecosystem services and biodiversity considerations in decision-making; economic aspects integrated through the holistic FEM methodology.
Link to Spatial Policy
The Floodplain Evaluation Matrix (FEM) is fundamentally a spatial planning tool, making this project an example of a spatial planning-based approach to NbS. It directly aligns with the EU Floods Directive (2007/60/EC) and the Water Framework Directive by integrating structural and non-structural measures into spatial planning frameworks.
Challenges & Solutions Applied
Challenges included balancing flood risk reduction with biodiversity conservation, coordinating transnational efforts, and overcoming limited technical knowledge and stakeholder resistance. These were addressed by:
- Prioritizing restoration areas using the FEM tool
- Pilot projects demonstrating natural retention measures
- Knowledge-sharing platforms promoting collaboration
- Combining classical and green infrastructure in integrative water management
Key Takeaways for Replication
- The upgraded FEM tool – GIS-compatible and data-driven – is replicable in any river basin region.
- Ecosystem services mapping, historical floodplain analysis, and feasibility studies are essential baseline components.
- A "win-win measures catalogue" documents solutions applicable across the Danube Basin.
- Combining hydraulic modelling (1D and 2D), cost-benefit analysis, ecosystem services, and biodiversity considerations creates a globally adaptable methodology.