On April 8 and 9, 2025, we welcomed around 20 experts from Slovenia. The group was part of the LIFE-IP NATURA.SI project, which aims to improve the management of Natura 2000 sites in Slovenia.

The purpose of the two-day visit was to exchange experiences, provide professional insights, and strengthen international cooperation.

Day 1: Exchange at the BMLUK

The first day took place at the BMLUK (Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Climate and Environmental Protection, Regions and Water Management) in Vienna. The focus was on topics such as:

Another highlight was two exciting guest contributions:

Jan Köck (BMLUK) presented the Austrian Floodplain Strategy, while Lisa Wolf introduced the international LIFE project LIFE Restore for MDD—a collaboration between Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary, and Serbia to preserve and restore the largest contiguous floodplain forests in the UNESCO Five Countries Biosphere Park Mura-Drava-Danube, also known as the “Amazon of Europe.”

Day 2: Excursion to the Pielach and Danube

On the second day, we headed out into nature.

Pielach / Mühlau (Natura 2000 site):

In the Mühlau area along the Pielach River, we were able to give our guests an impressive demonstration of how, over the course of two decades, restoration efforts have successfully reestablished a dynamic river landscape. The area serves as an example of the success of earlier restoration projects, such as the LIFE project “Habitat for Huchen” (2003). Of course, the visit also included a stop at the IRIS measures along the Pielach. A brief visit to the Pielach’s confluence with the Danube rounded off this part of the excursion.

Grimsing–Schallemmersdorf / Danube:

At the second excursion site, we presented the ongoing restoration work on the old branch of the Danube. These efforts build on earlier projects such as LIFE Mostviertel-Wachau and aim to further improve the ecological status of the Natura 2000 habitats and species along the Danube. The area serves as an example of large-scale hydromorphological measures for the protection of our water bodies and illustrates what ambitious water conservation can look like in practice.

Conclusion

The visit was a great success for both sides – two days marked by technical exchange, inspiring discussions, and a shared goal of enhancing Europe’s river landscapes ecologically. We are pleased that IRIS can contribute to sustainable and integrated river basin management beyond Austria’s borders as well.