Drought and heat: Experts develop concepts for the Danube
Source: APA/THEMENBILD
The Danube river and the region it supports are struggling through this summer of record heatwaves and drought. The reports feel overwhelming at times to read, with the impact of record low-water levels being felt right across society and the environment.
In two new pieces from APA Science and ORF.at (sincere thanks for these both), DANUBE4all lead project coordinator Prof. Helmut Habersack of the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU) outlines his belief that a coordinated, science-based construction and restoration program can meaningfully strengthen the Danube's resilience to both drought and flooding.
While the challenges are great and from many directions, there are real, actionable measures that this, and other projects, are researching and implementing that can go some of the way to meeting these. Co-operation with and among our regional, national and international policy frameworks is essential.
By rethinking some of our approaches to river engineering and evolving our concept of what it means to restore our river environments, can we create benefits for ecosystems, for society, and for the economy as a whole?
