INTERREG III A

Restoration on Drava

The project took place between October 2006 - May 2007, its total sum being 19,8 million Forints.
Drava, the cleanest and least regulated river of Hungary flows sometimes on Hungarian, sometimes on Croatian land. At 184+000-184+500 and 187+000-187+500 river km sections of the river (which is the property of the state and is managed by the South-Transdanubian Environmental Protection and Water Directorate), there is sunken wood in the riverbed and the regulation object at 74+000 fkm (which does not function any more) disrupt and endanger safe water transport.

By the removal of the wood obstacles, we can prevent injuries or accidents, and the resulting pollution. Also, the removal will help lower the amount of carried substrate material, and thus slow down erosion along the banks.The aim of the project: by removing the objects endangering navigation, the conditions for shipping and other means of water travel will be improved.

Future aim: to clean the river from any obstacle and build better infrastructure on the entire Croatian-Hungarian navigation route between 70+200 – 198+600 river km, on a total length of 128,4 kilometers, together with the Croatian partner.

The description of the project is available for download in PDF format:   

Integrated Darva Monitoring

The project took place between March 2006 - July 2007, its total sum beaing 43,9 million Forints. One of the aims of the project was to revise the national (both Hungarian and Croatian) hydrological, water quality and ecological monitoring systems according to the policy 2000/60/EK by the European Parliament and Council. 

Another aim is to design and implement an integrated monitoring system on the common parts of the river with Croatia for all stakeholders such as local governments, civil organizations, the inhabitants of villages, those taking part in tourism, working with water and land, like fishing clubs or forestries.

This monitoring system functions as a basis for the water body quality assesment of the EU’s Water Framework Directive, and for the professional cooperation in Hungarian-Croatian Water Management Committee. Based on the optimized plans, we will make a complex hydrological, ecological, water-quality information system available through the internet.

The website as a result of the Project: www.dravamonitoring.eu 

Implementation of the Water Framework Directive

The project started in October 2006 and ended in January 2008, its total sum being 19.75 million Forints. The EU conceptualized and then composed very strict regulations for the short term improvement of the quality of water bodies (2000/60/EK policy). In order to achieve this, in case of common waters or divided water-basins, the means of cooperation need to be clarified in the Croatian-Hungarian aspect. 

In case of larger water bodies , it is necessary to precisely measure them, to assess their status and quality, to study the effects of neighbouring waters on each other, and in the end to determine the measures required for ensuring the high quality of these waters. Taking into account that these long term actions can only be achieved in close collaboration and unified policies, the job needs to be done together with the Croatian Partner, with a program developed by both sides. The WFD project aims at this. 

Bicycle road on the Drava Bank

The project was started in November 2006 and ended in January 2008, its total sum of being 13,3 million forints.
The overall goal of this project has been to ensure an environmentally friendly way of travelling in the Hungarian-Croatian border area, to preserve natural beauty and to encourage local people to use enviromnentally friendly means of travel.
A more specific aim is to develop the existing infrastructure for traffic, and the creation of a safe, environmentally friendly means of transport. A good opportunity for this is to create cycling routes on the banks and dykes of the rivers. The fact that there is no traffic on the dykes makes it safer for cyclers and the natural environment creates ideal opportunities for leisure. The result of the project is the plan of the Three Rivers bike tour path, an alternative to the road between Felsőszentmárton and Tótújfalu, between 58+120-70+280 tkm of the Drava.
The primary target groups are tourists visiting the region, off-road cyclers, bycycle organizations and local residents choosing active leisure time.