"DanubeSediment (Danube Sediment Management – Restoration of Sediment Balance in the Danube River) is a transnational initiative aimed at enhancing the morphology, sediment, and water management of the Danube River. Spanning across the entire river basin, this Interreg project took place between 2017 and 2019. Given the critical role of upstream areas in sediment transport, this factsheet emphasizes the efforts undertaken in the Upper Danube Region, with a particular focus on Austria and Germany. Among the main outcomes of the project is the calculation of sediment balance throughout the Danube, coupled with an analysis of sediment flow regime, including sinks, sources, and sediment redistribution within the river. Key drivers and pressures causing sediment discontinuity were analysed to improve the impact assessment of sediment deficit and erosion.

The DanubeSediment project has produced a variety of documents, plans and strategies aimed at the assessment of sediment transport across the river basin and to understand the Danube River morphology. For this purpose, the project has a strong monitoring component throughout the river, producing the Analysis of Sediment Data Collected. As well, the project has produced a Handbook on Good Practices in Sediment Monitoring with the purpose of refining methodologies to improve data on spatial and temporal variation of sediment transport, through suspended sediment and bedload monitoring, therefore fostering the understanding on the main ecological and hydraulic issues in the river. Interactive maps have been produced, showcasing the monitoring stations across the Danube River and the collected data. Additionally, the project analyses the different pressures that act on the sediment regime on the Danube River and its main tributaries, providing an overview through an interactive map. The following figure showcases the erosion and sedimentation levels, along with the main pressures on the river segment located in Germany and part of Austria.

"The Danube Sediment Management Guidance acknowledges the level in which socio-economic development in the Danube region has altered the natural flow regime of the river. It identifies flood protection, hydropower, navigation, water supply, land use and commercial dredging as the main drivers of alterations in the sediment regimes in the river basin. DanubeSediment also has analysed the historical changes in terms of the river morphology, relating it to the different drivers. The project highlights the adoption of sediment management practices that aim to achieve a balanced sediment regime with a dynamic equilibrium between sedimentation and erosion. It proposes river basin restoration, including the revitalisation of the of river branches to improve water management and the morphology of the Danube River. The Sediment Manual for Stakeholders presents a compilation of best practices and measures for sediment management, including measures to reduce erosion at the catchment, sectional, and local scales. Collecting data and assessing the sediment balance throughout the Danube River basin allows to improve sediment transport and mitigate environmental impacts related to alterations in the nutrient transfer, improvement in the flow regime, and flood mitigation."

"The project results feed directly in the plans and strategies issued by the ICPDR, contributing to transnational water management and flood risk prevention, therefore broadening the scope of the project impact. DanubeSediment had International Training Workshops which supported knowledge transfer to key target groups in the Danube River Basin, thus communicating project results and engaging stakeholders beyond the project scope. Additionally, the approach of analysing the processes and mechanisms of sediment transport at the river basin scale can be replicated in different areas. "

The project played a key role in the collaborative development of the Sediment Manual for Stakeholders. Furthermore, it facilitated participative processes that influenced the Danube River Management Plan (DRBMP) and the Danube Flood Risk Management Plan (DFRMP), incorporating valuable insights from stakeholders into these strategic plans.

The alteration of the sediment balance is a significant water management issue in the Danube River Basin, therefore it should be an integral part of the National River Basin and Flood Management Plans. There is a need for the implementation of integrated river basin scale sediment management concept. Transboundary level approaches are required for the implementation of actions, specially focusing on upstream-downstream flow relations. Sediment management measures should be prepared in an inclusive way, connecting all relevant stakeholders, and must enhance the adoption of holistic approaches that consider both, sediment quantity and quality.