Current progress
This is our progress at October 2023:
- All partners have formed their active working teams;
- The official kick-off of the LIFE WILDisland project took place on May 10-11th 2022 in Vienna, Austria;
- All partners have started the planning, preparation and legal permits for their direct conservation measures;
- The approval plans and documents for the Mouth Ussel project area in Germany have been finalized and submitted by Uniper to the relevant authorities;
- Uniper completed some obligatory dam rehabilitation works in preparation of the project measures in Ingolstadt, Germany;
- The technical plans for the largest restoration action below the Abwinden-AstenHydro Power Plant, Austria have been prepared by Verbund and submitted for approval a whole year earlier than originally provided;
- The detailed geodetic survey and riverbed survey of the Korpádi island and the technical plans required to achieve the water construction permission have been elaborated by Aduvizig and approved in March 2023;
- The technical plans for forest restoration measures (10x) RO164 island complex, Danube Delta, developed and submitted by Romsilva one year ahead of time;
- First land purchase of 0.82 ha in the cadastral areas of Sap, Medveďov and Kližská Nemá, Slovakia, BROZ;
- JP "Vojvodinašume", Serbia purchased a long-arm excavator in July 2023, which will be used for sediment removal and dredging for the restoration of old side arms and channels in the area of SRP "Gornje Podunavlje";
- First forest actions have been successfully started by Duna-Ipoly National Park on Tati islands, Hungary, Duna-Drava Nature Park on Debrina islands and Romsilva, Romania on RO164 island complex, Romania;
- A Cooperation Agreement was signed with the Lower Prut Natural Reserve in May 2023;
- The LIFE WILDisland team attended the 14th Conference of the Party of the Ramsar Conventions on Wetlands and started the preparation of the WILDisland Ramsar Regional Initiative;
- The future Danube WILDisland Ramsar Regional Initiative was presented at the "40 Years Ramsar in Austria" celebration held in September 2023;
- All project partners have started their project site monitoring efforts to assess the hydrological, morphological and biotic impact of the up-coming restoration actions;
- The firstphase of the survey on the socio-economic effect and perception of wilderness protection along the entire Danube was completed in September 2023;
- There have been a number of cross-border field visits and experience exchange by the project partners to optimize their own planning and conservation;
- LIFE WILDisland has been presented on a number of international, national and local conferences, meetings and events;
- First cross-border WILDisland Festival in Mohács (“Washing the Danube festival”, co-organised with City of Mohács) was jointly organised by Duna-Drava Nature Park, Hungary and Kopacki rit Nature Park, Croatia in July 2022;
- Second cross-border WILDisland Annual Meeting and Festival was jointly organised by Fertő-Hanság National Park, Hungary and BROZ, Slovakia in October 2023;
- First information signboards were installed on site (Donau-Auen National Park, Austrtia) in August 2023;
- The construction of a 3D installation of Riparian forest habitats started in the Visitor Center of Persina Nature Park, Bulgaria in August 2023;
- First publications and promotion materials have been published;
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Milestones and deliverables
Find our milestones and main deliverables and deadlines below, as follows:
Land purchase
Project milestone | Deadline | Responsible beneficiary | Status | Comments |
Purchase of land for softwood restoration in Slovakia | 31/12/2023 | BROZ | in preparation | started |
Direct conservation measures
Project milestone | Deadline | Responsible beneficiary | Status | Comments |
Restoration of mouth of Ussel project area completed | 28/02/2026 | UNIPER/DWK | in progress | started |
Restoration of Ingolstadt project area completed | 21/12/2024 | UNIPER/DWK | in progress | started |
Restoration of Langau-Abwinden project area completed | 19/12/2026 | VHP | in progress | started |
Restoration of Schwalbeninsel project area completed | 01/11/2025 | viadonau | in progress | started |
Restoration of Sap project area completed | 28/02/2026 | BROZ | in preparation | |
Restoration of Klizska Nema project area completed | 31/03/2026 | BROZ | in preparation | |
Restoration of Erebe island project area completed | 31/12/2025 | FHNPD | in progress | started |
Restoration of Korpádi islands project area completed | 19/12/2026 | DDNPD | in progress | started |
Restoration of RO164, RO86, RO83, RO109, RO43, RO99, RO172 project area completed | 28/02/2026 | DDBRA/ROMSILVA | in progress | started |
Restoration of RS84 and RS85 project area completed | 31/03/2026 | Vsume | in preparation | |
IAS management on Vének islands completed | 01/01/2027 | FHNPD | in preparation | |
Hybrid poplar plantation transfered into 91E0* on Táti island completed | 31/12/2026 | DINPI | in progress | started |
Management of IAS on 56 ha on Táti island completed | 01/03/2027 | DINPI | in progress | started |
Restoration (natural rejuvenation) on Debrina island finalized | 31/12/2026 | DDNPD | in progress | started |
44 ha softwood forests restored on RS85 | 30/12/2025 | Vsume | in preparation | |
Persin island forest restoration finalized | 31/12/2025 | PNPD | in preparation | |
IAS management on island in the Danube Delta finalized | 30/09/2026 | DDBRA | in preparation | |
Application Document for the Danube WILDisland Ramsar Regional Initiative submitted | 31/12/2023 | NPDA | completed | started |
Experience exchange: capitalization with RRI Carpathian Wetlands Initiative | 31/12/2023 | NPDA | completed | |
Experience exchange and know-how transfer: capitalization with RRI BlackSeaWet | 31/12/2023 | NPDA | in progress | |
Danube WILDisland Ramsar Regional Initiative office established | 30/06/2024 | NPDA | in preparation | |
Danube WILDisland Ramsar Regional Initiative officially adopted | 31/08/2027 | NPDA | in preparation | |
feasibility concept for Mulitlateral WILDisland Ramsar Site developed | 31/08/2027 | NPDA | in preparation | |
Enlargement of (strictly) protection on min. 3 islands and 196,7 ha completed | 31/08/2027 | NPDA | in preparation | |
Min 40 WILDislands (min. 400 ha) designated as WILDislands | 31/08/2027 | NPDA | in preparation |
Monitoring measures
Project milestone | Deadline | Responsible beneficiary | Status | Comments |
Final Reports of the project impact on Biota | 31/08/2027 | all partners | pending | |
Final Reports of the project impact on Hydrology | 31/08/2027 | all partners | pending | |
Final Reports of the project impact on Morphology | 31/08/2027 | all partners | pending | |
Scientific report on the Socio-economic effect of wilderness protection along the Danube (baseline survey) | 01/09/2026 | JUUP KR | pending | |
Restoration of Sap project area completed | 28/02/2026 | BROZ | pending | |
Scientific report on the Socio-economic effect of wilderness protection along the Danube (final report) | 31/08/2027 | JUUP KR | pending | |
Dissemination, communication and networking
Project milestone | Deadline | Responsible beneficiary | Status | Comments |
project brochure Danube Inside | 31/12/2022 | NPDA | completed | see here |
info boards on project sites installed | 31/12/2024 | all partners | in progress | started |
WILDisland video clip | 31/12/2025 | DINPI | pending | |
Nature trail Nagyszentjános near Erebe islands opened | 31/12/2025 | FHNPD | pending | |
WILDisland book published | 30/06/2026 | pending | ||
3D installation of Riparian forest habitats in PNPD visitor center opened | 30/09/2026 | PNPDA | in progress | started |
LIFE WILDisland kick-off conference (Vienna) | 27/11/2021 | NPDA | completed | see here |
WILDisland festival (Mohacs) | 25/06/2022 | DDNPD | completed | see here |
LIFE WILDisland public event (Bratislava) | 27/05/2023 | BROZ | completed | see here |
LIFE WILDisland public event (Tulcea) | 15/06/2024 | DDBRA | pending | |
LIFE WILDisland public event (Belene) | 30/05/2025 | PNPD | pending | |
LIFE WILDisland public event (Belgrade) | 28/05/2026 | Vsume | pending | |
LIFE WILDisland final conference and public event (Budapest, Dömös) | 30/06/2027 | DINPI | pending | |
Action Plan for the cooperation ADC Net with focus on riverine habitats updated | 31/08/2027 | NPDA | pending | |
concept note for follow-up actions at partner rivers (Rhine, Sava, Prut) developed | 31/08/2027 | NPDA | pending | |
WILDisland photo exhibition (addressing Bularian Ramsar sites) set up | 31/08/2027 | PNPD | pending | |
WILDisland policy strategy developed | 31/08/2027 | NPDA | pending | |