Living Treasures - Sustainable management of watercourse ecosystems in the South Bohemian and Mühlviertel regions

The project is a response to the sharp decline in biodiversity in the Czech-Austrian border region. Specifically, it is about the decline of rheophilic (current-loving) and limnophilic fish species, which is characteristic of the entire program area. This is also related to the reduction in the quantity (climate change) and quality of water in the upper and middle reaches. The situation on the Czech and Austrian side of the border is similar, but not the same, and each of the regions faces specific challenges, which provides a starting point for knowledge exchange and transfer in the care of biodiversity and the quality of biodiversity. At the same time, it is closely linked to the fulfillment of the Water Framework Directive (WFD). The project team will combine a top-down approach based on climate change induced processes (Austrian side) and a bottom-up assessment based on populations of selected fish species (Czech side). The project will treat the streams Große Mühl, Blanice and Lužnice as core project areas, i.e. nearby and similar streams where the partners will cooperate on mapping and management and the outputs will be mutually transferable. The aim of the project is to promote biodiversity through a practical focus on flagship fish species, i.e. those that have the ability to influence habitats in a broad context. The project is based on continuous detailed monitoring and the team has a profound baseline knowledge base. The key to the success of the project and its proposed measures is the cooperation not only of local administrations and self-governments, but above all of individual water managers. The project team took great care in developing the plan, activities and results in close cooperation with future users, whose interest and main activity is precisely the impact of floods/low water, supporting biodiversity and maintaining water status, as well as protecting nature and landscapes for future generations and complying with the WFD.