Ecological Goals & Flood Protection
LIFE IRIS combines ecological objectives with flood protection in 8 pilot areas. The rivers were selected based on various criteria to test approaches tailored to different river types and sizes.
DONAU | ENNS-SALZBURG | ENNS-STEIERMARK | ISEL-DRAU | LAFNITZ | LEITHA | PIELACH | TRAUN
Ecological Action Requirements
Several factors played a pivotal role in selecting the pilot water bodies for the LIFE IP IRIS project. A fundamental requirement was that the chosen rivers exhibited both ecological action needs in accordance with the EU Water Framework Directive and the necessity for flood damage prevention as per the EU Floods Directive.
LIFE IP IRIS employs the planning tool GE-RM to create comprehensive action concepts for all project areas. To test the GE-RM planning tool across various types and sizes of water bodies, rivers of varying sizes were chosen for the project areas. These selected rivers encompass both alpine and lowland regions and feature highly diverse habitats.
The spectrum of selected rivers ranges from a major watercourse like the Danube to smaller bodies of water such as the Pielach.
Cross-Border Collaboration
Consciously, rivers were selected that cross state boundaries or form the border between two federal states. Here, close collaboration between the federal states is necessary.
Within the scope of LIFE IP IRIS, cross-border collaboration is to be tested in order to develop efficient approaches for successful project planning and implementation. These approaches can later be applied in other projects as well.
