Advancing freshwater restoration

My Projects

DRAVA LIFE project

• Key project facts

  DRAVA LIFE project: opening and creation of new side-arms and intial channels, the removal and modification of embankments and groins, preservation of retention areas and natural steep river banks; 

  widening of side-arms within the dike or high bank, dismantling and modification of existing parts of regulation structures and the implementation of new, environmentally friendly methods for flood protection

• What impact did these projects have on biodiversity, if any?

  They increased breeding populations of endangered species, new species are coming appearing each year, and new valueable habitats establish.

• What work challenges did you face and what approach did you take to solve them?

  This was the first big restoration project in Croatia, so we were the first who had to find the path, we were the ice-breaker: we had to get all relevant parties together (e.g. NGOs, water authority, protected areas managers, national government agencies), undergo the necessary legal procedures (e.g. environmental impact assessment); we had to find compromises that worked for all parties involved; make local communities understand how these restoration actions benefit them, present them the restoration actions in detail, and show how this is also important for adapting to climate change.

  The project had a lot of “soft activities” – visiting each other’s case study sites, transferring knowledge, that helped established mutual trust. This was essential for working together.

  Involving consultancy companies with experience in other European countries helped us develop a technological solution that was a good compromise between the aims of different stakeholders.