Addressing the sediment mismanagement in the DRB, the iNNO SED project aims to develop the Sediment Knowledge System and establish the Danube Sediment ‘Lighthouse’ Knowledge Centre

The Danube River Basin (DRB) faces significant challenges associated with river sediments. In the 2021 update of the Danube River Basin Management Plan, sediment balance alteration emerged as a new sub-topic within the existing Significant Water Management Issue titled "Hydromorphological alterations." Additionally, sectors like industry, urban sewage, and agriculture call for sediment quality evaluations throughout the DRB. However, the absence of standard sediment monitoring limits our understanding of risks.
Addressing the sediment mismanagement in the DRB, the iNNO SED project aims to establish the Danube Sediment ‘Lighthouse’ Knowledge Centre. This centre will:
• Introduce a set of innovative methods for monitoring and modelling sediment quantity and quality, thereby deepening our knowledge of sediment processes.
• Provide innovative sediment management practices to improve sediment continuity and quality in DRB sections facing with sediment-related issues.
• Showcase co-created innovative measures through demonstration activities, while also evaluating their socio-economic and environmental aspects.
• Empower the public with innovative knowledge transfer methodologies.
• Collaborate with five Associated Regions, transferring the iNNO SED solutions to other river basins.
To accomplish these goals, iNNO SED will leverage the achievements and key contributors of the DanubeSediment and SIMONA initiatives. Moreover, it will engage relevant stakeholders of sediment management, such as ICPDR, policy makers, river managers, hydropower plant managers, waterway authorities, national parks, environmental agencies, SMEs, and more.
iNNO SED will represent a pioneering approach to sediment management in large international river basins. This approach sets an example for other major global river systems like the Amazon, Mekong, or Niger. In doing so, it aligns with the Mission's objective of intensifying the European Union's competitiveness.

Addressing the sediment mismanagement in the DRB, the iNNO SED project aims to establish the Danube Sediment ‘Lighthouse’ Knowledge Centre. This centre will:

• Introduce a set of innovative methods for monitoring and modelling sediment quantity and quality, thereby deepening our knowledge of sediment processes.
• Provide innovative sediment management practices to improve sediment continuity and quality in DRB sections facing with sediment-related issues.
• Showcase co-created innovative measures through demonstration activities, while also evaluating their socio-economic and environmental aspects.
• Empower the public with innovative knowledge transfer methodologies.
• Collaborate with five Associated Regions, transferring the iNNO SED solutions to other river basins.

To accomplish these goals, iNNO SED will leverage the achievements and key contributors of the DanubeSediment and SIMONA initiatives. Moreover, it will engage relevant stakeholders of sediment management, such as ICPDR, policy makers, river managers, hydropower plant managers, waterway authorities, national parks, environmental agencies, SMEs, and more.

Team:

• DI Martin Felix Gajdusek (project leader)

Section: Research Policy & Development

Partners:

• Aqua- terra lab kft
• Croatian Geological Survey
• Czech Hydrometeorological Institute
• Faculty of Civil Engineering, University of Zagreb
• Ferenc Rákóczi II Transcarpathian Hungarian College of Higher Education
• Galati Lower Danube River Administration
• General Directorate of Water Management
• GeoEcoMar
• Geological Institute “Strashimir Dimitrov”, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
• Geological Survey of Slovenia
• Global Water Partnership Central and Eastern Europe
• Jaroslav Černi Institute for the Development of Water Management
• Lew Wasserkraft
• National Research Council
• Technische Universotät München
• The State University of Moldova
• The University of Stirling
• University College Cork
• University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Vienna
• viadonau
• Water Research Institute
• WWF Hungary
• Budapest University of Technology and Economics (Coordinator)

Tags: Citizen Science, Danube River Basin, Demonstration Actions, Ecosystem Services, Innovative Measures, Sediment Action Plan, Sediment Continuity, Sediment Management, Sediment Quality