Activities

The WILDisland projects is designed as a unique initiative to contribute to the key commitments of the EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030, by enlarging protected areas, by establising strictly protected sites, by preserving primal forests, and by establishing EU Green Infrastructure along the most international river. It will help to raise awareness for the Danube islands as jewels of Danube nature.

The initiative is already recognized on policy level as best practice for transnational cooperation and a good example to strengthen ecological corridors.

Furthermore, with the support of the ICPDR, WILDisland sees itself as a showcase initiative and wants to be an impetus for the establishment of island corridors also on other major rivers in Europe, such as river Rhine and the Sava river.

The project provides for the following actions:

• establish the Danube WILDisland Ramsar Regional Initiative, in close cooperation with the Ramsar Secretariat and Ramsar Focal Points on national level;
• elaborate and gradually implement a Danube-wide conservation concept for 147 WILDislands category A (>14,000 ha) with a main focus on non-intervention management for these wilderness sites;
• gradually implement the Danube WILDisland Habitat Corridor in cooperation with Danube protected areas (see commitment on DANUBEPARKS Directors´ level, authorities), international organisations (IUCN, see A8 declaration) and policies (like EUSDR PA6), land managers and stakeholders (like waterway management, forestry);
• elaborate a work plan for the Danube WILDisland Ramsar Regional Initiative;

Dams built on the Danube severly impact the river. They not only block the movement of fish, but completely change the river dynamic and alter the sedimentation processes – they stop the movement of fine particles downstream, changing the riverbed and preventing the very establishment of islands.

This is why LIFE WILDisland has recruited the international power companies UNIPER and Verbund, who have committed to carry out several best practice island restoration actions in riparian sections, altered by hydropower in Upper Danube.

This is why the LIFE WILDisland project provides for the restoration of islands in hydropower reservoirs, as follows:

• Mouth of Ussel river (Uniper, DE) - embankment removal and sidearm reconnection;
• New island in Ingolstadt (Uniper, DE) - side branch restoration;
• Langau-Abwinden (Verbund, AT) - dredging, side-arm reconnection and embarkment removal;

The main objective is the dynamization of the landscape to initiate river dynamic processes and to create a dynamic riverine landscape with high value for alluvial softwood forests. The planned actions will result in the creation of a new natural island, which will be strictly protected under national law and managed without intervention.

The transformation of natural floodplain forests to intensive poplar plantations in the past has significantly impacted natural forests. Commercial forestry totally alters the species composition and structure of the affected forest communities. The technological activities and short lifespan of intensive poplar plantations not only disrupt characteristic and valuable micro-habitats such as small wetlands and migratory corridors along the Danube, but also reduce the genetic diversity of the populations of native tree species.

This is why converting existing poplar plantations into stable mixed forests of autochthone species will increase the resilience of the forest ecosystem to biotic and abiotic factors, increase ecological value and general beneficial forest functions and increase biodiversity. The planned activities include removal of non-native trees species, planting native tree species (e.g. domestic poplars, willows, oak, ash, elm, grey alder, etc.) and non-invasive follow-up management.

Such forest restoration actions, dedicated to softwood riparian forests will be carried out in the Middle and Lower Danube, implemented by nature conservation entities and park directorates: BROZ, FHNPD, DINPI, DDNPD, Kopacki rit, Persina, DDBRA, but also three commercial forestry companies: Hrvatske sume, Vojvodinasume, Romsilva in a total of six countries:

• Sap (BROZ, SK) - reforestation;
• Kližská Nemá (BROZ, SK) - natural forest rejuvenation;
• Erebe islands and Véneki islands (FHNPD, HU) - invasive species management;
• Táti islands (DINPI, HU) - invasive species management;
• Debrina island (DDNPD, HU) -  natural forest rejuvenation; invasive species management;
• Kopacki rit, island HR21 (JUUP/HRsume, CR) - transforming forest plantations;
• Gornje podunavje, new islands RS84, RS85 (Vojvodinasume, SR) - forest management actions;
• Palets island (Persina NPD, BG) - invasive species management;
• Danube Delta, islands RO164 (Romsilva, RO) - forest management actions;