Upper Austria is drained almost completely via the Danube through a wide network of rivers. These rivers are the lifelines of sustainable development in the region. They provide clean drinking water, they are home to a myriad of organisms, they provide recreation opportunities and their power helps us to produce energy. Alpine rivers can only provide these and other services to society if we take care of them, on the basis of comprehensive river management.
What can we contribute?
Upper Austria’s 2012/2013 hydropower analysis is a best practice example of harmonising utilisation and protection strategies.
The Upper Austrian river dialogues involved different interested parties and demonstrated the value and vulnerability of rivers to the general public.
What do we want to develop?
At the moment river sections are being evaluated from ecological and hydropower perspectives to provide a basis for action and a discussion aid for a regional water management programme for river sections with special ecological importance. In addition, through networking with project partners in the Alpine region, information packages about the different functions of rivers and their ecosystem services are to be prepared. Stakeholder talks about protection needs and a river dialogue in an Upper Austrian river basin are under consideration.