DEF - Danube Environmental Forum Protecting Danube Floodplain Youth Research Camp
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1-2/2008 DEF - Danube Environmental Forum Protecting Danube floodplain Youth Research Camp DEF Bulletin 1-2 2008 final.indd 1 2/2/09 8:08:30 AM IMPRESSUM DEF Bulletin is official publication, Danube Enviromental Forum. The bulletin assist the DEF to fulfil its mission: "To protect the Danube river with its tributaries, their biodiversity and resourses, by enhancing co-operation among goverments, NGO, local people and stakehoders towards the sustainable use of natural ecosystems." The bulletin is distributed to all interested parties. It is available also electronically on the www.def.org.hu For more information for subscription: DEF Secretariat H-6500 Baja, Hungary Déri sétány 13. III. 14. tel/fax: +3679525163 mail: [email protected] Editor: Milan Vogrin, [email protected] Language editor: dr. Victor Kennedy Design and print: NTD d.o.o., Slovenia The view and options expressed by contributors do not necessarily reflect the view and options of the DEF and editor. This publication was supported by European Union Cover photo: Flood. Photo: Milan Vogrin DEF Bulletin 1-2 2008 final.indd 2 2/2/09 8:08:33 AM In this issue BED on Gajna protected pasture – contesting the prejudice that nature protection endan- gers rural development Iris Beneš ................................................................................................................. 4 Restoration of the Wetlands of Zahorie Lowland Monika Budzáková ..................................................................................................... 4 Projects along the Lower Danube Arinda Cadariu & Florin Vasiliu & Mirela Nedelescu ......................................................... 6 The Danube Environmental Forum – a River Basin-wide platform of environmental organizations and a network of locally active groups, influencing policy and sub-basin developments Milena Dimitrova ....................................................................................................... 7 The Course of Water – Natural and Cultural Cognitive Routes for Sustainable Tourism Kameliya Dzhanabetska............................................................................................... 9 Crossborder rivers – can they be viewed as natural wholes at last? Petra Đurić ..............................................................................................................11 The Svitava River in Letovice Lukáš Krejčí .............................................................................................................13 Protecting Danube floodplain forests in Slovakia Tomaš Kušik .............................................................................................................15 New IEEE-funded project: Advanced measures for companies to increase public transport use by their employees Lucia Ilieva ..............................................................................................................17 ECCG Participation in DEF activities –Summary 1998-2008 Petruta Moisi ...........................................................................................................19 Sava Day 2008 in Slovenia Sava Osole .............................................................................................................. 20 Youth Research Camp “Dragoman 2008” Andrey Ralev ............................................................................................................21 The Prut and the Danube celebrated at Butesti Dinu Rusu ............................................................................................................... 22 Improving Cross-Border Cooperation in Integrated Management of Water Resources in the Lower Danube Euroregion Igor Studennikov & Oleg Dyakov ..................................................................................24 Photo: MilanPhoto: Vogrin DEF Bulletin 1-2 2008 final.indd 3 2/2/09 8:08:35 AM The Danube Environmental Forum Newsletter. BED on Gajna protected pasture – con- duction), the project ensures a basis for further testing the prejudice that nature pro- sustainable development activities in neighbor- tection endangers rural development ing villages. The project has also resulted in mapped and marked bicycle and horseback riding On Gajna protected pasture, near Slavonski Brod, routes through protected areas in Brod Posavina Croatia, there were only 150 cows in 2007 where County, and increased ecological awareness in there used to be 600 only a decade ago. Lack of the community through promotional/educa- grazing endangered biological diversity, allow- tional activities, including lectures in schools, ing allochthonous species to grow and enabling organized visits, web page www.bed.hr, and pro- trees to take over the pasture. The tradition of motional materials. free-range cattle grazing is in danger of dying Iris Beneš out in Croatia, following trends in Europe. The EC Brodsko ekološko društvo – BED Habitats Directive promotes biodiversity protec- [email protected] tion, including protection of flooded pastures, one of the most endangered landscapes. In 2007/2008, Brodsko ekološko društvo BED, Restoration of the Wetlands of Zahorie with its partners and associates, implemented Lowland an EU project under the CARDS 2004 program called ˝Protection, preservation and improve- Záhorie lowland is the largest area of eolic ment of biological diversity and development sands in Slovakia. This area, located in south- of ecological awareness through breeding of western Slovakia, has an outstanding diversity Croatian indigenous species and stimulation of of habitats. The acidic sand provides a substrate ecological production”. By breeding a Slavonian for Pannonic inland dune habitats, while wetland Sirmium Podolian Cow herd on the protected habitats are found in the depressions between pasture, BED showed that biological heritage can the dunes. The Rudava River, which flows across be preserved without jeopardizing the economic interests of the local community, and contested the belief that nature protection must be costly and a burden for rural development. It is hoped that this activity will ensure enough profit in the future to continue to finance the Gajna guardian and to support institutional development of the management of the site. With the support of the community (including the foundation of an Eco-cooperative providing assistance and support in ecological food pro- Rudava river the area, is one of the best preserved tributaries of the Morava River. Vast intensification of agriculture in the past century, especially in its second half, did not leave this area aside. Almost all important wetland sites were drained. This resulted in a decline of characteristic wetland species and their biotopes. Destruction of wetlands has also led to an increase in forest fire occurrence. Pine forests growing on sandy soil are especially vulner- 4 DEF Bulletin 1-2 / 2008 DEF Bulletin 1-2 2008 final.indd 4 2/2/09 8:08:37 AM The Danube Environmental Forum Newsletter. Beaver Castor fiber. The wetlands are also inhab- ited by various bird species, 39 species of fish, and 18 species of amphibians and reptiles. The area also provide a habitat for endangered spe- cies of dragonflies such as Leucorrhinia pectora- lis, Ophiogomphus cecilia and Cordulegaster heros and Hermit beetle Osmoderma eremita. Numerous restoration projects were completed in the course of the project. These projects focused on restoration of the wetlands’ water regime Fish by-pass and improvement of habitat conditions for the able to these. Many other functions of wetlands, most endangered plant and animal species. The such as retention of rain and snow water, which next step is the construction of a fish by-pass provides protection from floods, were inhibited. at Rudava River, which will restore this impor- Today there is an effort to restore these valuable tant fish migration route. The bypass should be species-rich habitats. Luckily, wetlands have a completed by the end of this year. One of the dynamic character and much of their function accompanying objectives of the project is to can be restored in a relatively short time, if the raise public awareness about the value of these water regime is returned to its original condi- areas. This is achieved by publishing articles in tions. The State Nature Conservancy of the Slovak Republic, the Regional Association for Nature Conservation, and the Sustainable Development (BROZ) and Slovak Water Management Enterprise jointly began to improve natural conditions in this area in 2005. The work was implemented with- in a project entitled “Restoration of the Wetlands of Záhorie Lowland”, supported by the LIFE-Nature programme of the European Union. The main aim of the proj- ect is to contribute to the development of the NATURA 2000 network in the Záhorie region. Eight Sites of Community importance were Dragonfly Leucorrhinia pectoralis chosen in the project area. These wetlands are home to many rare plant species, including a crit- the media, organizing excursions, and lectures. ically endangered tiny orchid Fen Orchid Liparis Although many people think that swampylowland loeselii and many glacial relicts e. g. Cotton is only a place full of mosquitoes, these areas Deer Grass Trichophorum alpinum, Meadow Bistort are in fact unique habitats for many important Polygonum bistorta, Bog Arum Calla palustris, and animal and plant species. Thus the wetlands of Common Sundew Drosera rotundifolia. Elongated Záhorie Lowland hugely contribute to the biodi- Sedge Carex elongata is a typical