Nature Conservation and Regional Development in Floodplains and Wetlands in the Central and Lower Danube River Basin

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Oswald Osborne
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1 Nature Conservation and Regional Development in Floodplains and Wetlands in the Central and Lower Danube River Basin Project Manager: Dr. Johann Schreiner Project Coordination: Dr. Katrin Heuer, Dr. Martina Meeske Alfred Toepfer Academy for Nature Conservation, Schneverdingen, Germany

2 executing organisation: project partner: funded by Alfred Toepfer Foundation F.V.S. German Federal Environmental Foundation (DBU) Michael Otto Foundation

3 Alfred Toepfer Academy for Nature Conservation (NNA) executive organisation NatuRegio governmental organisation established 1981 belonging to Ministry of Environment of Lower Saxony Place: Hof Möhr and Camp Reinsehlen, Schneverdingen, Germany Tasks: Research, training and education, public relations Responsibility in NatuRegio: project management, project coordination

4 Background first NatuRegio Programme with Romania and Bulgaria : Nature conservation and regional development in South-East Europe illustrated by the examples of Romania and Bulgaria 40 trainees passed the programme in four passes not focused on a special landscape / habitat type lasted 6 month (6 seminars, 2 placements in nature conservation organisations) plus 6 month project implementation

5 all trainees and projects:

6 Nature Conservation and Regional Development in Floodplains and Wetlands in the Central and Lower Danube River Basin New NatuRegio_floodplains programme : with 24 trainees in three passes focuses on specific habitats (floodplains and wetlands) includes 8 countries Programme: 5 seminars within 5 weeks, 1 Cross-Border-Seminar, project implementation within 4-5 month period The new programme has been developed taking into account the huge amount of data collected during the evaluation of the old project, so it concentrates on the best parts of NatuRegio and tries to avoid former handicaps.

7 Aims and Objectives NatuRegio_floodplains is a vocational training programme for young experts in the field of nature conservation / regional development linked with the implementation of small projects along the Danube Target group: young experts working in/for/related with Floodplain/Wetland Management and Protected Areas in the Central and Lower Danube River Basin Motive for the project: The development of the Strategy for the Danube Region by the European Commission. The Danube should serve as connecting link in the socio-economic progress of the involved countries.... how can the unique floodplains and wetland be conserved during this progress? create an ecological network of well-trained experts working together

8 Target countries: Hungary Slovakia Croatia Serbia Romania Bulgaria Moldova Ukraine Countries along Danube

9 The programme aims at bringing experts from the Central and Lower Danube River Basin to Protected Areas along the big rivers Elbe, Rhine and Danube in Germany for a vocational training programme establishing contacts with relevant institutions, experts and initiatives showing best practice examples for restorations and negative examples for river degradation enhancing the cross-border collaboration along the Danube with workshops in different areas along the Danube and Danube Dialogues implementing small projects to promote sustainable nature conservation and regional development in the Danube River Basin to enhance sustainable nature conservation and regional development strategies in floodplains and wetlands along the Danube and to encourage cross-border collaboration and networking in the Macro-Region

10 Topics 1. Ecology and conservation of floodplains and related wetland areas Best practice projects Species and habitat protection Conservation measures Threats (Climate Change, shipping) Flood protection 2. Legal and administrative framework Natura 2000 and management plans Water framework directive International collaboration EU: Lobbying and funding Regional development in Protected Areas 3. Education and Social Aspects Environmental interpretation Visitor information and guidance Work with young people, Education for Sustainability Stakeholder communication Cross-cultural competences

11 Training Programme in Germany 1st week: Introductory Workshop at NNA Topics: technical language course, project management course, urban rivers, flagship species in river projects (otter, trout), cross-cultural competences, etc. 2nd week: UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Elbtalaue, Hitzacker Topics: dike relocation, environmental education facilities, technical flood prevention measures, concepts for extensive pasturing, Stork Foundation, Junior Ranger Concept, renewable energy & landscape, etc. 3rd week: UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Middle Elbe, Dessau Topics: Complex of problems with sediment/contamination & grassland, dike relocation, reconnecting cut-off meanders, environmental water engineering, inland waterway transport, Federal Agency of Environment, etc. 4th week: Centre for Environment, Wiesenfelden / Danube Topics: Structure of EU, Programmes for Environment, successful lobbying in Brussels, transnational collaboration, European Green Belt, sustainable environmental education, impact regulation & efficiency, Protected Areas in impoundment zones, etc. 5th week: WWF Floodplain Institute (KIT Karlsruhe) / Forestry Environmental Education Centre Karlsruhe (FBZ), Karlsruhe Topics: Basics for floodplain restoration, several floodplain projects, silviculture in floodplains, etc. Last day: Finish of Excursion Seminar at NNA Programme

13 Training Programme in the Danube Region Cross-Border Workshop in SE Europe (5 days) transfer of the experiences to the local conditions developing collaboration schemes finalizing implementation of project proposals

14 Training Programme in the Danube Region Project implementation & Danube Dialogue Projects are implemented by the trainees subsequent to the cross-border-seminar within a 4-5 month period. Bulgaria: Improving birds habitats in protected site Kalimok-Brashlen Croatia: Fighting invasive plant species in flooded grasslands Moldova: Pilot Restoration of Cubolta River upstream Serbia: Ecological classroom Step Toward Sustainability Serbia: Improving feeding conditions for White-tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) in special Nature Reserve Gornje Podunavlje One team organises instead of a nature conservation project an International Colloquium, the Danube Dialogue.

15 Aim of the Danube Dialogue The Danube Dialogue shall support the cross-border collaboration in the Danube Region. The Danube Dialogues should emphasize the importance of a sustainable and ecologically compatible regional development in the Danube Region and should link the socio-economic with the ecological net-works. Romania: DANUBE DIALOGUE Transboundary approaches for water and biodiversity management issues in Lower Prut, Danube area

16 Thank you very much for your attention!

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