News
In September, LIFE RESTORE for MDD moved the development of new River Restoration Plans one step further by hosting three stakeholder workshops and six stakeholder forums focused on three pilot sections along the Mura and Drava. The forums took place in Croatia, Slovenia and Hungary and were held in local languages, giving interested stakeholders a practical opportunity to join the process. In total, 288 people participated across all events.
The aim was to share the project’s approach to river restoration and collect feedback on local needs, concerns and priorities. Discussions revealed a strong interest in restoring natural river dynamics and improving floodplain conditions. However, they also highlighted various challenges, including complex land ownership, the need for better coordination across sectors and borders, and environmental issues such as invasive species and reduced water availability.
The stakeholder input gathered in September will now inform the next planning phase. Further expert workshops are scheduled for November 2025 and June 2026 to finalise the priority restoration sites in the three pilot sections. In parallel, two additional rounds of stakeholder forums are planned for winter and spring to ensure continued dialogue as the River Restoration Plans take shape, supporting both the EU Nature Restoration Law and long-term restoration efforts across the UNESCO Five-Country Biosphere Reserve Mura-Drava-Danube.
