INNOVATIVES SEDIMENTMANAGEMENT IM DONAUEINZUGSGEBIET

Sediment discontinuity, sediment pollution, transport alteration are becoming an increasingly prevalent issue negatively impacting all types of water bodies. Recent strategic documents like e.g., ICPDR (2009), ICPDR (2015), as well as the DanubeSediment and the SIMONA projects mention that, in particular, the Danube River Basin (DRB) is at risk due to significant alterations of sediment quantity and quality. Thus, sediment alteration became a significant water management issue in the 3rd River Basin Management Plan, recognizing the urgent need for an improved sediment management in the DRB. The iNNO SED project focuses on the following objectives: • Improve our common understanding on sediment quantity and quality related issues in the DRB, • Develop innovative, preferably nature-based sediment management methods to reduce riverbed incision in the main channels as well as to decrease sedimentation processes in reservoirs, side branches and floodplain areas, • Demonstrate the functioning of innovative measures at three selected study sites, each representing the vast diversity of the adjacent regions in the DRB. • Lighthouse approach: Implement feasibility studies of selected innovative measures in five Associated Countries of the DRB. • Bring together scientists, water managers, innovators, and stakeholders for an improved sediment management in the DRB, The DRB is the most international river basin around the world. Due to the transboundary nature of water and sediment continuum, it is essential to establish strong international cooperation in order to effectively manage sediment connectivity and river restoration measures including sediment pollution mitigation and prevention. Expected results: • Developed and implemented cost-effective sediment quantity and quality monitoring devices and routines across the DRB to establish a smart data base, • Novel, experimental and simulation-based sediment transport and bio-chemical reaction process descriptions followed by a data driven AI embedded analysis for a more accurate assessment of sediment balance, transport processes, accidental pollution response measures and river morphodynamics, • New simulation tools based on advanced mathematical descriptions of sediment transport and biochemical reaction processes derived in (large) scale physically-based models, numerical studies and field work, • Innovative measures to improve sediment continuity and quality demonstrated at selected case studies