Our project LIFE Restoration and Management of Danube Floodplain Habitats, or LIFE Danube Floodplains for short, has been nominated for the prestigious pan-European LIFE Awards 2026. This is a project we carried out in partnership with Duna-Ipoly National Park from Hungary, the Water Research Institute(VÚVH), the National Forest Centre (NLC), and Vodohospodárska výstavba. In Slovakia, we focused primarily on the left-bank side-arm system (inland delta), where we implemented a range of measures to improve the water regime. We restored water flow in river side arms (the Vojčianske side arm), removed redundant barriers in waterways that blocked fish migration, and above all tackled the main problem of the side-arm system – the chronic water shortage that has persisted since the construction of the Gabčíkovo dam. We addressed this through active campaigning for simulated flooding of the area, including a petition signed by more than 11,000 people, which we delivered to the then Minister of the Environment, Ján Budaj. Since 2020, thanks to these efforts, we have succeeded in restoring the flood regime in the area, and regular flooding has been taking place ever since.
In addition to these activities, we also worked on restoring grazing on Apálsky and Veľkolélsky islands, as well as planting floodplain tree species and pruning pollard willows.
Our Hungarian project partners worked at 3 sites in the Hungarian Danube floodplains. The NLC was active in growing seedlings of native tree species for planting in floodplain forests. VÚVH carried out expert monitoring of the side-arm system and produced a comprehensive expert study on its restoration, which served as the basis for our measures. Vodohospodárska výstavba was the key partner and stakeholder for the side-arm system and its flooding, and implemented several technical measures at the barriers.
The European Commission selected this project from among dozens of projects from across Europe that were completed in 2024, shortlisting it among the top three nominees in the Nature and Biodiversity category.
The LIFE Awards also include a Public Choice Award, where the public can vote for nominated projects. Vote for our project and help increase our chances of bringing one of these awards back from Brussels on 3 June.
Thank you!
