DANUBE TRANSNATIONAL PROGRAMME – TWO PROJECT PROPOSALS WITH STRONG ’WATER QUALITY’ RELEVANCE SUBMITTED
The First call for proposals of the Danube Transnational Programme (DTP) was open between 23 September to 3 November 2015 (1st step) and between 29 March to 9 May 2016 (2nd step).
Two project proposals – with significant relevance from ’water quality’ area point of view – have been successfully approved in the 1st step of the DTP call and the related project application forms were further elaborated and submitted by the 9 May 2016.
The Danube Sediment project (Title: Danube Sediment Management – Restoration of the Sediment Balance in the Danube River) major objective is to review the current status of the sediment regime of Danube including the inputs of major tributaries. It also aiming at to analyse pressures and impacts, assess the potential for restoration of sediment balance and propose actions to be taken in order to improve the sediment continuum and river morpho-dynamics along the Danube. The project has strong EUSDR relevance and would fully support the implementation of the Action Plan which is one of the outputs of the Strategy approach.
The Danube Sediment project contributes to the implementation of the Danube River Basin Management Plan. Through contributing to a reduction of flood risks, the link to the Danube Flood Risk Management Plan and to the EU Floods Directive (Directive 2007/60/EC) is also ensured.
Nine Danube countries are participating in the project and among the project partners relevant stakeholders are also contributing to the successful implementation of the main objective. The project Lead Partner institution is situated in Hungary.
The JOINTISZA project (Title: Strengthening cooperation between river basin management planning and flood risk prevention to enhance the stats of waters of the Tisza River Basin) focuses on interactions of two key aspects, the river basin management and flood protection, taking into account the relevant stakeholders who have fundamental role in the Tisza River Basin Management planning process. The main aim of the project is to further improve the integration of the water management and flood risk prevention planning and actions in the next River Basin Management planning cycle, in line with the relevant EU legislations. The project ensures better embedding of flood risk management planning into the River Basin Management planning process and also encourages the involvement of relevant sectors (such as flood risk management, water resource management, urban hydrology management, drought management) and interested stakeholders. In long term the project will initiate the change of better contribution to the implementation of the Flood Risk Directive and Water Framework Directive.
The JOINTISZA project contributes to the implementation of the EUSDR Action Plan aiming at strengthening of cooperation in the Tisza River Basin as well as to develop the update of the Integrated Tisza River Basin Management Plan. The project activities ensure to continue to invest in and support the information collection systems already developed by the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR).
All countries of the Tisza River Basin are participating in the project and among the project partners several organisation with transboundary relevance are involved. The International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR) participates as a project partner in the project. The project Lead Partner institution is situated in Hungary.
Both project ideas were awarded by Letter of Recommendations (DanubeSediment. LOR can be downloaded here; JointTisza.LoR can be downloaded here), which also indicate the full support of the EUSDR relevant thematic area the ‘water quality’ priority area. The LoRs also indicate that EUSDR Danube countries are supporting and suggesting the implementation of the projects.
The project application forms are currently under evaluation.
Result of the evaluation process is expected in September 2016.
