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On April 1st 2025, the research project “Climate-proofing ecological restoration plans in the middle and lower Danube Region – CLIMANATRES” officially started, under the 2nd call of the Interreg Danube Transnational Programme 2021-2027.
In the project acronym, the word CLIMA represents the fight against climate change, NAT stands for nature and the efforts to preserve it, and RES refers to restoration, which is essential for enabling nature to adapt to sudden climate changes.
The project involves 11 partners from 6 European countries, with three specific objectives:
- Modelling for climate-proof restoration planning and ecological corridor management:
To lay the foundation for the scientific support for climate-proof restoration and ecological corridor planning we will develop predictive models of habitat distribution. We plan to apply the modelling framework developed and tested by the lead partner both in Hungary and abroad (Bayern, Germany as well as in the southern Pannonian basin of Slovenia, Croatia and Serbia). Thus, the modelling framework is available, however, the key objective is to apply it on the biogeographically and geomorphologically coherent area the broad corridor the middle and lower Danube presents. A particular virtue of this model application is that it will coherently represent habitat-environment relationships in this region.
- Building capacities for local planning of climate-smart habitat management and restoration:
Potential Natural Vegetation models for the reference and future periods will provide overarching insight for the study region. The 1 km resolution targeted by these models is exceptional for broadscale databases on habitat suitability. However, the 1 km resolution does not directly guide local planning, where individual habitat patches are targets of conservation measures or restoration activities. The second specific objective of the proposed project is to translate the broad maps into local decision support. Translation of broad-scale results into local decisions will be carried out at representative pilot sites along two corridors within the region in focus: along the Sava river and along the Danube-Tisa catchment. Measurement devices synchronously installed locally, will provide input of site-specific data for model predictions. Thus, pilot actions will offer opportunity to interact and understand the challenges of using the overarching results in local decisions
- Ensuring uptake of the project results for adaptive restoration and resilient ecological corridors:
The third major objective of the project would be the utilisation of the results of the modelling and those of pilot projects. To serve this we aim to disseminate results also during and at the end of the project development. We will formulate strategic documents for the participating nature conservation actors. We aim to provide a strategy and guidline for the incorporation of modelling results into conservation planning: national or regional restoration plans, habitat management, enhancement of ecological corridors and fulfilment of obligations stemming from EU directives and strategies, such as the EUSDR, the Habitat Directive, the Biodiversity Strategy and in case it gets approved the Nature Restoration Law. Additionally, we also aim to empower local nature conservation actors to implement climate smart habitat management and restoration planning.
This project is supported by the Interreg Danube Region Programme co-funded by the European Union.
More information can be found on the project website:
https://interreg-danube.eu/projects/climanatres
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