Collaboration in Action: DANUBE4all’s Second Online Forum Held During DanubeSediment_Q2 Stakeholder Event

Content by Primoz Skrt (GWP-CEE)

Image Credit: Michael Scheiber

On June 17th, 2025, the DanubeSediment_Q2 project hosted a dynamic stakeholder event at the BOKU River Lab in Vienna. The hybrid event also served as the second online forum of the DANUBE4all project. The event which was introduced and hosted by Robert Lichtner, of EU Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR) was attended by over 70 participants, including 40 who joined remotely who came together to discuss the comprehensive integrated sediment management plan (ISMP) —an essential component for safeguarding the long-term health of the Danube River. Robert's presentation provided an overview of the role of the EUSDR which focuses on the challenges faced across the Danube region which require cooperative and coherent action across local, national and regional scales.

The keynote speech was given by Wouter van de Bund of the European Joint Research Centre - Marine Environment Unit (ISPRA). Helmut Habersack coordinator of the DanubeSediment_Q2 project than gave an introduction to the project. This was then followed by a session consisting of several presentations from Danube region stakeholders including:

• Samo Groselj (Sava Commission - Deputy Secretary for Protection of Waters and Aquatic Eco-system)  

• Primoz Skrt - (Project Manager and Community Expert with Global Water Partnership Central and Eastern Europe) responsible for stakeholder involvement in the DANUBE4all project;

• Agnes Tahy - Hydrologist and head of Department at General Directorate of Water Management in Hungary;

• Sándor Baranya – (Associate Professor and Head of Department of Hydraulic and Water Resources Engineering at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics and Coordinator of the Horizon Europe Project iNNO SED);

• Mark Morris coordinator of the EcoAdvance project.

A Danube4all Perspective

Image 3. Primoz Skirt from Global Water Project - Central and Eastern Europe (GWP-CEE) presenting an overview of the DANUBE4all project.

The forum was particularly relevant due to its close alignment with the objectives of DANUBE4all’s main output—the Danube River Restoration Action Plan. Primož Skrt, representing DANUBE4all, gave an insightful presentation highlighting the synergies between the two projects and their shared goals. The event also featured interactive workshops that created space for stakeholders to exchange ideas and express their needs and expectations regarding both the integrated sediment management plan and the river restoration approach.

Discussion in action. Image Credit: Michael Scheiber

The valuable input collected during the workshops will directly inform the further development of the Danube River Restoration Action Plan, helping to ensure that it responds to real-world priorities and challenges across sectors and regions. The active engagement and constructive feedback from stakeholders emphasized the forum’s role in advancing practical and inclusive restoration strategies.

Interactive Online Participation via Miro Board

The DanubeSediment_Q2 stakeholder event and DANUBE4all’s second online forum concluded with great success, marking an important step forward in joint efforts to restore and sustain the Danube River. As collaboration between related projects continues to grow, so does the collective impact of the community working to protect Europe’s most international river. Overall this joint event stood as a strong example of collaboration, bringing together projects, organizations, and funding mechanisms working on similar topics related to river restoration and sediment management across the Danube Region.