Completed implementation of project „Living Danube“

The implementation of the two-year project “Living Danube ” cofinanced by the European Union under the IPA Cross-Border Programme Croatia – Serbia , the Fund for Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency and the Office for Associations of the Croatian Government  was successfully completed . The emphasis of the project is to strengthen the capacity for the protection of valuable natural areas of the Middle Danube and the sustainable development of the Danube region in Croatia and Serbia. The special attention is focused on the problem of endangement of biodeversity, polution of rivers, loss of wethlands and other problems that have impact on natural protected areas: Kopački rit Nature Park, Regional Park Mura – Drava, Transboundary biospfere reserve Mura–Drava–Dunav in Croatia and Special nature reserve Upper Danube, Karađorđevo, Zasavica as well as Tikvara Nature Park and Park Forest Junaković in Serbia.

Association for nature and environment protection Green Osijek in cooperation with project partners Conservation Movement of Sremska Mitrovica, Green Action, Public Institution Agency for the management of protected natural values ​​of the Osijek-baranja county and UNECO designed project activities towards promoting sustainable natural and cultural resources of the wider area of ​​the Middle Danube.

Initial activities were related to organizing the photo exhibition entitled ” Central Danube – the heart of the European Amazon ” presented at the seminar which was organized for various stakeholders Croatian and Serbian Danube region. The first five seminars were held in the communities located in the area of ​​future UNESCO Biosphere Reserve ” Mura – Drava – Danube ” in Serbia, while the remaining 5 seminars are planned for the area of ​​Croatian Danube Region and will be held in Osijek, Vukova, Ilok, Beli Manastir and Donji Miholjac. The seminar was attended by over 300 participants and different experiences, reflection and joint discussion of present stakeholders led to make important conclusions about the positive and negative trends in the management and use of protected natural areas, and also how these areas contribute to local development.

Existing human resources indicate that this area lacks higher-level skill, modern development ideas and solutions for sustainable development in terms of economic prosperity and environmental protection. Bad socio-demographic and economic picture of Croation Danube region and index of underdevelopment of year 2013 is almost at the very top of the charts.

It is therefore necessary to give new momentum and prospects.This perspective is reflected in the investment in modern forms of ” economy of natural resources ”  eco-tourism and organic farming. Provided that the cleanliness of the environment, not to damage , area of ​​Croatian Danube region, as well as the Serbian part of the Republic of Serbia can become a European tourist mecca visiting the marshy river wilderness . The offer needs to enrich and modernize, to continue where they started and publish it as a complete brand. Sophisticated ecotourism which offers people an authentic experience of nature and also for some adrenalin boost has great prospects in the Croatian Danube region.

This area in Europe, social, tourist and biological context has great development prospects, but of course with the requirements of nature conservation and use in a sustainable way, the modernization of the economy of natural resources and the development of a more efficient system of visiting protected areas .

In photomonography Living Danube are shown this precious and rare natural resources of the Middle Danube region. In an authentic way, through copyright and texts, given all the protected natural areas. Presented are rare and protected species like black stork, the kingsfisher, white-tailed eagle, great white heron, sand martin and little tern but also the weel-being and ecosystem services. Special emphasis was put on the vulnerability of ecosystems to intensive agriculture and various regulatory interventions which have so far destroyed 80% of the previous flood areas along the Danube. Therefore, it should be noted an important finding that, if the Danube is faster and a trough is digging, reduces the power of the natural flooding of the immediate environment and the whole phenomenon of swamps and river wilderness. All interventions that help gouging troughs and accelerating the river are the enemies of this natural phenomenon and not environmentally sustainable.

Action plan of protection and sustainable management of the Middle Danube operational referencing desirable and necessary , environmentally and economically sustainable initiatives in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of nature Middle Danube for the benefit of all stakeholders in these areas and live around them.  Strategic Guidelines of the Plan proposes the future activities related to all relevant stakeholders and social actors of the Danube basin whose actions are in contact with the protected areas.

Proposed professional activities that include creating a database with all the information about the biodiversity of the Middle Danube region as well as developing a program of monitoring biodiversity. In order to strengthen public awareness it is necessary to organize trainings, meetings, round tables, annual forums for the local population on the subject of the Danube. Developing cross-border cooperation creates opportunities for increased cooperation related pressures on natural areas of the wider region of the Middle Danube region, which are due to unsustainable use and management -discharge of untreated wastewater into rivers, illegal dumps, channeling / regulation of rivers, illegal excavation of sand and gravel, dredging of rivers due to the waterway, cutting non-native forest species, construction of hydroelectric power plants, draining marshes.The action plan will be used as a reference in the process of planning new projects for nature protection and sustainable development, the development of spatial plan, strategic and other development plan documents in the region of the Middle Danube.

09-03-2016