EU Project DaWetRestRestoring wetlands as part of the EU's Mission ‘Restore our Ocean and Waters’

The EU Mission ‘Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030’ focuses on the restoration of water and marine ecosystems. Four lighthouse areas have been designated by the EU and are developing innovative solutions for environmental protection and restoration. Steinbeis Europa Zentrum is involved in the Danube & Black Sea Lighthouse, in particular in two of a total of eight projects - as project coordinator in EcoDaLLi (2023-2026) and as project partner and work package leader for communication, dissemination and engagement in DaWetRest (2023-2027). We therefore play a key role in the Danube & Black Sea Lighthouse and are working actively on the ecological revitalisation of the Danube.

DaWetRest supports cross-regional cooperation in three demonstration regions

The DaWetRest project aims to restore wetlands in the Danube river catchment area, thereby contributing to the ecological revitalisation of water bodies and aquatic ecosystems. The measures are being implemented in three demonstration sites in Croatia, Bulgaria and Romania with differing challenges. The regions offer a range of potential for wetland restoration and include pilot and sibling sites.

Three demo-regions of DaWetRest in Croatia, Bulgaria and Romania

In the Middle Danube, the focus lies on innovative methods for improving hydrology and restoring wetlands such as the Topoljski dunavac and Šarkanj, which are part of the NATURA 2000 network and represent an important habitat for numerous endangered species. In the Lower Danube, measures for sustainable land use, nature conservation, tourism and infrastructure are being developed in four zones of the Kalimok-Brashlen protected area. The demo site test an innovative approach to improving water circulation and restoring lateral connections between the wetlands and the Danube. The partners in the Danube Delta are focusing on restoring the connection between wetlands and groundwater and improving biodiversity, especially for endangered bird species. Carbon sequestration and the restoration of salt marshes also play a central role.

Danube-Black Sea Lighthouse Community of Practice and Associated Regions of DaWetRest: Knowledge transfer and cooperation

In addition to these technical innovations, the Community of Practice is a central element of the project and is being set up and coordinated by Steinbeis Europa Zentrum. The platform promotes the exchange of knowledge between the various regional stakeholders - from municipalities and companies to political decision-makers - and supports the replication of innovative solutions in other regions. Online meetings are held every two months to ensure a continuous exchange of best practices and the development of novel ideas for wetland restoration.

All information and the opportunity to register can be found here: Community of Practice – DaWeRest

Moreover, DaWetRest launched a call for Associated Regions in early 2024 to financially support the replication of the project's solutions. Following a successful communication campaign led by Steinbeis Europa Zentrum, six regions from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Georgia, Spain and Turkey were selected. These regions will receive guidance on how to create implementation plans for their own ecosystems. The solutions are aimed at the floodplains of the Tolisa, Sava and Zeta rivers, the salt marshes in Andalusia, the Asi river floodplain in Turkey and the Kolkheti wetland in Georgia.

DaWetRest project partners and assoiated regions, where solutions will be replicated

Steinbeis Europa Zentrum develops colouring book for the protection of wetlands

Participation and involvement of the local population in decision-making processes is essential to successfully implement projects. As European research and innovation projects are often characterised by complex, academic language that is not always accessible, it is important to develop low-threshold communication options. As part of a comprehensive community engagement toolkit, Steinbeis Europa Zentrum has designed and published a colouring book on the topic of wetland restoration. It is aimed at children and families and conveys themes of nature conservation in a playful way. With simple explanations and appealing illustrations, it raises awareness of the importance of wetlands and their restoration. The colouring book is available in English, Croatian, Bulgarian and Romanian in order to reach the different language regions of the Danube region and especially the population in the demo sites. Further information is provided in the form of demo-specific flyers designed by Steinbeis Europa Zentrum and translated by the local partners.

The project receives EU funding of 9,1 Mio. Euro (6/2023 – 5/2027).

Project partners DaWetRest near the Danube in the demo region in Croatia, Foto: Hristo Golov

Looking ahead

Another promising project that builds on the achievements of DaWetRest and EcoDaLLi is SoS2LearnDBS, which was approved at the end of 2024 and will start in mid-2025. The aim of this project, coordinated by INOVA+ from Portugal, is to promote the renaturalisation of oceans, seas and water bodies at local level. By enhancing water literacy and community engagement through cooperative learning and capacity-building programs, the project will empower local stakeholders to implement innovative solutions across multiple areas, including technological, nature-based, social, cultural, regulatory, financial, and governance approaches. Steinbeis Europa Zentrum has incorporated its extensive experience within the EU Mission Ocean and Waters to the project concept, gathered a strong consortium and thus provided central support for the proposal. In addition to planning communication and IPR activities, we will be leading the work package for linking the project implementation with EU initiatives for the restoration of oceans, seas and waters in order to ensure the complementarity and exploitation of previous project results in the Mission.

Project website: DaWeRest – Danube Wetlands and flood plains Restoration through systemic, community engaged and sustainable innovative actions