DANUBE4all
Restoration of the Danube River Basin for ecosystems and people from mountains to coast
DANUBE4all is an EU ‘Lighthouse Initiative’ in support of Mission “Restore our ocean and waters by 2030". The project, funded by Horizon Europe, has a duration of 5 years and consists of a consortium of 48 Partners and Associated Partners from academia, research institutions, public organizations/NGOs, and SMEs from 14 European countries. As stated in the official project website, DANUBE4all aims to restore freshwater ecosystems in the Danube River Basin through the development of a comprehensive, scientifically based and practically orientated Restoration Action Plan (RAPDRB). The project seeks to address the lack of knowledge, awareness, and participation of local people and business actors in the implementation of freshwater ecosystem restoration. In this pursuit, DANUBE4all is an unprecedented co-creation process between scientists, researchers, SMEs, investors, public bodies, policymakers, and local communities.
© Barbara Kéri
The overall focus of this ambitious project will be on delivering pathways to promote the improvement of the river’s ecological status, biodiversity and ecosystem connectivity throughout the Upper, Middle and Lower River Basins.
DANUBE4all also seeks to show both the economic and social benefits of restored ecosystems to local communities and SMEs - thus stepping up societal support for longer-term restoration efforts.
© Barbara Kéri
WFMF's contribution to the project
One of WFMF’s pillars is to accelerate river restoration through the upscaling of dam removal practices across European countries. WFMF’s involvement in DANUBE4all is an opportunity to introduce and mainstream dam removal initiatives and support river practitioners, in line with the project’s ultimate goal of creating a restoration action plan for the Danube basin.The Foundation's role in the project is mainly connected to supporting the Communication and Dissemination strategy. Furthermore, three international events will be organised during the first three years of the project, similar to WFMF's annual seminars. These events are planned to take place in the upper, middle and lower Danube region, with the goal of scaling the process of achieving the European target of 25.000km free-flowing rivers by removing obsolete barriers.
DANUBE4all is funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement no. 101093985.
