In January 2017, the transnational project DanubeSediment was launched. The objective of the project is to improve sediment management on the Danube River and its tributaries. The National Administration “Romanian Waters” (A.N.A.R.) is responsible for the implementation of Work Package 5 (WP 5) – Impact and Measures, being also involved in the activities of the other Work Packages within the project. The project is co-financed by European Union funds (ERDF and IPA). The DanubeSediment project will be completed on June 30, 2019.

Updated information can be found at: www.interreg-danube.eu/danubesediment

Project description:

Sediment transport is a natural process that occurs in the river system. In recent decades, human activities on the Danube and its tributaries have led to significant changes in natural sediment load. These changes have a negative impact on important water management issues such as flood risk, inland navigation, ecology and hydropower generation.

The International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR) acknowledged the absence of sediment management aspects from the Danube River Management Plans carried out in 2009 and 2015. With the Danube flowing across 10 countries, from its sources in the Black Forest to its mouth in the Black Sea, holistic sediment and water management requires a transnational approach at river basin level.

To meet this challenge, 14 partners from 9 countries will jointly contribute to the DanubeSediment project. Their objective is to improve water and sediment management as well as the morphology of the Danube River. The project started in January 2017 and covers 2 and a half years, with a budget of 3.56 million euros. DanubeSediment is co-financed by the European Union (ERDF and IPA funds) through the Danube Transnational Programme.

Bridging knowledge gaps: The project team will start collecting data on sediment transport from the Danube River and its main tributaries. These data form the basis for sediment balance at Danube level, as well as for analyses related to river bed morphology, sediment sources and redistribution and their impact.

Strengthening governance: An important outcome of the project will be the first “Danube River Sediment Management Guide” (DSMG). This document will make essential contributions to the ICPDR’s development of the 3rd Danube International District Management Plan (DRBMP) and the 2nd Flood Risk Management Plan (DFRMP).

As the main beneficiaries of the DanubeSediment project, stakeholders will be regularly involved in the development of the project through national and international workshops. A “Stakeholder Handbook” (SMS) will focus on target-specific measures to improve sediment management in navigation, hydropower generation, flood risk management and river basin management.