Enhancing River-Sea System Understanding by providing insights into headwaters– the Upper Danube Austria Supersite of DANUBIUS-RI

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eva Feldbacher ◽  
Stefan Schmutz ◽  
Gabriele Weigelhofer ◽  
Thomas Hein
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
River Basin ◽  
Human Activities ◽  
Danube River ◽  
Interactive Effects ◽  
The Black Sea ◽  
Study Region ◽  
The Danube River ◽  
Danube Catchment ◽  
Danube River Basin

<p>Austria has a share in three international river basins (Danube, Elbe, Rhine), but by far the most of its territory (> 96%) drains into the Danube. This Austrian territory accounts for 10% of the total area of the Danube River Basin and belongs entirely to the Upper Danube Basins, which extends from the source of the Danube in Germany to Bratislava at Austria’s eastern border to Slovakia. Austria contributes approx. 25% (ca. 50 km³/a ) to the total yearly discharge of the Danube into the Black Sea (ca. 200 km³/a).</p><p>Human activities have severely altered the Upper Danube catchment, impacting both the main stem and the main pre-alpine tributaries. Due to the Upper Danube’s considerable natural gradient and mountainous character, this part of the Danube is extensively used for hydropower production. Ten large (> 10 MW) hydropower plants are situated along the Austrian Danube (out of a total of 41), and only two Danube stretches can still be characterized as free-flowing (Wachau, Nationalpark Donau-Auen).  Besides energy generation, other human activities such as agriculture, shipping, industrialisation, urbanisation and tourism, have been and still are changing the process and system dynamics of the Upper Danube.  Climate change is additionally affecting this already heavily impacted River System.</p><p>The Upper Danube Austria and its pre-alpine network of tributaries is therefore an ideal case study region to investigate the multiple effects of human activities on riverine systems and was chosen as a “supersite” within Danubius-RI, the “International Centre for Advanced Studies on River-Sea Systems”. Danubius-RI is being developed as distributed Research Infrastructures with the goal to support interdisciplinary and integrated research on river-sea systems. DANUBIUS-RI aims to enable and support research addressing the conflicts between society’s demands, environmental change and environmental protection for river -sea systems worldwide and brings together research on freshwaters and the interface to marine waters, drawing on existing research excellence across Europe.</p><p>The supersite “Upper Danube Austria and its pre-alpine network of tributaries” covers the freshwater spectrum within the river-sea continuum, ranging from alpine and pre-alpine headwater streams along major Danube tributaries to the Danube River, including adjacent floodplains in the Upper Danube catchment. The research focus lies on the interactive effects of climate change, land use pressures, and hydromorphological alterations on the biodiversity, ecological functions, and the ecosystem service provision of streams and rivers in the Upper Danube basin and their role within the catchment.</p><p>The Supersite “Upper Danube Austria and its pre-alpine network of tributaries” joins forces of eight Austrian research institutions and is led by WasserCluster Lunz and the Institute for Hydrobiology and Aquatic Ecosystem Management (IHG) at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU). Research on sustainable management and restoration of riverine landscapes (WFD, FD, HD, Biodiversity  Strategy) in the Upper Danube Catchment is an important contribution to a healthy River-Sea System of the Danube River Basin as a whole.</p>

The environmental programme for the Danube River Basin

1994 ◽  
Vol 30 (5) ◽  
pp. 135-145 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. W. Rodda
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Management ◽  
River Basin ◽  
Technical Assistance ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Danube River ◽  
The Black Sea ◽  
Diverse Range ◽  
Regional Approach ◽  
The Danube River ◽  
Danube River Basin

The Programme has the objective of providing a regional approach to environmental management in the Danube River Basin where there is great pressure from a diverse range of human activities. Serious pollution problems exist from urban populations, from industry, and from intensive agricultural practices. Although the water quality of the main Danube river is probably better than the Rhine because of its greater flow, the same is not the case in the tributaries where there the problems are more serious. A factor which makes a compelling case for a regional approach is the deterioration of the Black Sea into which the main Danube river discharges significant loads of nutrients and a range of non-degradable contaminants. The application of limited financial resources will require fine judgement about the high priority pollution sources that will lead to cost-effective improvements. This action, and other technical assistance, also requires a considerable effort to strengthen the organisations having responsibility for environmental management, and to develop effective public participation. The paper emphasises the water pollution problems in the river basin.

Examples of Floodplain Restoration Evaluation Studies in the Danube River Basin

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesca Perosa ◽  
Marion Gelhaus ◽  
Veronika Zwirglmaier ◽  
Leonardo F. Arias-Rodriguez ◽  
Aude Zingraff-Hamed ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
River Basin ◽  
Evaluation Studies ◽  
Danube River ◽  
Floodplain Restoration ◽  
The Danube River ◽  
Danube Catchment ◽  
General Benefit ◽  
Work Done ◽  
Restoration Measures ◽  
Danube River Basin

<p>Countries located in the Danube River Basin (DRB) are in danger of being affected by major catastrophic floods along the Danube and its tributaries. Floodplain restoration measures are among win-win nature-based solutions (NBS) for flood risk reduction but practitioners see their limitations in comparison to technical measures, when looking at their effectiveness and profitability. Within the framework of the EU Interreg Danube Floodplain project, this presentation shows the benefits of floodplain restoration in terms of monetized ecosystem services (ES). Our work focused on multiple ES groups for four study areas in the Danube catchment, located in Czech Republic, Romania, Serbia, and Slovenia. This was done with the help of stakeholder engagement, hydrodynamic models results, and the Toolkit for Ecosystem Service Site-Based Assessment (TESSA). Moreover, the approach was complemented with alternative methodologies (e.g. surveys on social media). Results show positive annual combined benefits of floodplain restoration measures, suggesting the helpfulness of evaluating these NBS through ES assessment. The work done will help increasing the knowledge on floodplain and their ES, and on how to rapidly evaluate them. Moreover, it will bring decision-makers further evidence in favor of floodplain restoration measures to be implemented for a general benefit of the communities.</p>

scholarly journals Future Projections of Water Scarcity in the Danube River Basin Due to Land Use, Water Demand and Climate Change

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 25-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
Berny Bisselink ◽  
Ad de Roo ◽  
Jeroen Bernhard ◽  
Emiliano Gelati
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Land Use ◽  
River Basin ◽  
Water Scarcity ◽  
Water Demand ◽  
Danube River ◽  
The Danube River ◽  
Warming Period ◽  
Water Scarce ◽  
Danube River Basin

Abstract This paper presents a state-of-the-art integrated model assessment to estimate the impacts of the 2°C global mean temperature increase and the 2061-2090 warming period on water scarcity in the Danube River Basin under the RCP8.5 scenario. The Water Exploitation Index Plus (WEI+) is used to calculate changes in both spatial extent and people exposed to water scarcity due to land use, water demand, population and climate change. Despite model and data uncertainties, the combined effects of projected land use, water demand and climate change show a decrease in the number of people exposed to water scarcity during the 2°C warming period and an increase in the 2061-2090 period in the Danube River Basin. However, the projected population change results in a decrease of exposed people in both warming periods. Regions with population growth, in the northwestern part of the Danube River Basin experience low water scarcity or a decrease in water scarcity. The largest number of people vulnerable to water scarcity within the Danube River Basin are living in the Great Morava, Bulgarian Danube and Romanian Danube. There, the combined effects of land use, water demand and climate change exacerbate already existing water scarce areas during the 2°C warming period and towards the end of the century new water scarce areas are created. Although less critical during the 2°C warming period, adjacent regions such as the Tisza, Middle Danube and Siret-Prut are susceptible to experience similar exposure to water scarcity within the 2061-2090 period. Climate change is the most important driver for the increase in water scarcity in these regions, but the strengthening effect of water demand (energy sector) and dampening effect of land use change (urbanization) does play a role as well. Therefore, while preparing for times of increased pressures on the water supply it would be advisable for several economic sectors to explore and implement water efficiency measures.

scholarly journals Cooperation of hydrologists from the Danube River Basin

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stevan Prohaska ◽  
Mitja Brilly ◽  
Andrej Kryžanowski
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
River Basin ◽  
Climate Change Impacts ◽  
Danube River ◽  
Station Network ◽  
The Danube River ◽  
Danube River Basin

Abstract. The development of the hydrology of The Danube River Basin has a long tradition from nineteen century and beyond. Cooperation in hydrology science started 1961 and up to day, 28 scientific conferences have been performed. Since 1975, cooperation between hydrologists of the Danube River Basin has been conducted within the framework of the International Hydrological Programme (IHP) of UNESCO and IHP National Committees established common Cooperation of the Danube River Countries. In addition, Cooperation produce several reports and two books. Cooperation IHP Danube propose common statements for further research and appeal for development water station network necessary for measurement of anthropogenic and climate change impacts.

Identification of nitrate sources, hot spots, and dilution in the Danube River Basin using a multitracer approach

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janine Halder ◽  
Yuliya Vystavna ◽  
Cedric Douence ◽  
Christian Resch ◽  
Roman Gruber ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Stable Isotopes ◽  
River Basin ◽  
Danube River ◽  
Quality Data ◽  
The Black Sea ◽  
Main Stream ◽  
Water Quality Data ◽  
The Danube River ◽  
Danube River Basin

<p>The Danube is Europe`s second longest river, stretching from Germany to the Black Sea. Water quality in the Danube River Basin is regularly monitored by the national authorities of all riparian countries and in addition for specific water quality data during the Joint Danube Surveys (JSD), which is organised by the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River every 6 years.</p><p>This study presents the results of water stable isotopes and stable isotopes (<sup>15</sup>N and <sup>18</sup>O) of nitrate as well as major ion analysis from 3 JDS (2001, 2007, 2019). Results indicate that water stable isotopes allow to trace differences in the amount of snowmelt contribution to the Danube and hence the dilution effects of pollutants e.g. nitrate. The oxygen and nitrogen isotope compositions of nitrate are clearly indicating that nitrate in the Danube main stream mainly derives from waste water effluents, which input is increasing along the stream. This can furthermore be confirmed by results of micropollutant studies that demonstrate an increase of widely consumed pharmaceuticals (carbamazepine, diclofenac and caffeine) at different sections of the Danube River affected by tributary inflows and discharge from urban settlements.</p><p>In summary, this study is an example of combining isotope techniques, hydrological methods but also emerging compounds in order to approach the fate of anthropogenically derived nitrate within the Danube Basin. The results of this study aim to support the 2021 update of the Danube River Basin Management Plan as well as water monitoring practices across the Danube countries.</p>

scholarly journals Climate Change Impacts on the Water Resources in the Danube River Basin and Possibilities to Adapt – The Way to an Adaptation Strategy and its Update

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 13-24
Author(s):  
Roswitha Stolz ◽  
Monika Prasch ◽  
Michael Weber ◽  
Franziska Koch ◽  
Ruth Weidinger ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
River Basin ◽  
Adaptation Strategy ◽  
Danube River ◽  
Extreme Weather Events ◽  
Precipitation Trend ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Intergovernmental Panel ◽  
The Danube River ◽  
Danube River Basin

Abstract As the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reported in 2013, climate change will have significant impacts on all water sectors. Since water is essential for live, culture, economy and ecosystems, climate change adaptation is crucial. Therefore, a legal and political framework was established by the commissions of the European Union, the United Nations and on national levels. For the Danube River Basin (DRB), the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River got the mandate to develop an adaptation strategy in 2012 and to update this strategy in 2018. The natural science basis on which the adaptation strategy and its update are based on are two studies, conducted in 2011/2012 and updated and revised in 2017/18. Numerous documents from actual research and development projects and studies dealing with climate change and its impacts on water related issues were analysed in detail and the results summarised. It is agreed that temperature will increase basin-wide. The precipitation trend shows a strong northwest-southeast gradient and significant changes in seasonality. Runoff patterns will change and extreme weather events will intensify. However, the magnitude of the results shows a strong spatial variability due to the heterogeneity of the DRB., It is assessed that these changes will have mostly negative impacts on all water related sectors. Based on the scientific findings an approach for an improved basin-wide strategy on adaptation to climate change is developed. It includes guiding principles and five categories of adaptation measures targeting different objectives.

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