The project Concept Solution for the Improvement of Navigability of Drave River from its Mouth to the Osijek Harbour has been completed.
On the 16th of November 2015, Geonatura LTD delivered Biological and Ecological Study of Target Habitat Types, Ornithofauna and Ichthyofauna as part of the project “Biological and Ecological Study of Target Habitat Types, Ornithofauna and Ichthyofauna for the for the purpose of a Concept Solution for the Improvement of Navigability of Drave River from its Mouth (rkm 0) to the Osijek Harbour (rkm 12)”, with the company Hidroing LTD as project leader.
The aim of the project was to have an integrated approach for the design and selection of the most acceptable solution for navigability improvement of Drava River from its mouth (rkm 0) to Osijek harbor (rkm 12). Research and evaluation of the current status of biodiversity represents the baseline for defining the acceptable conditions for the interventions in the watercourse and for the evaluation of the ecological acceptability of the conceptual solution variants for the navigability improvement of the river Drava. At the same time, this research will provide the up to date data necessary for the latter nature and environmental impact assessment (Appropriate Assessment of the impact of projects on the ecological network procedure and Environmental Impact Assessment procedure).
Geonatura LTD carried out biological and ecological research and made a distribution study of target habitat types, bird and fish species. As part of the Study, a habitat map of the wider project area was produced, floristic and vegetation research was carried out, as well as recording the presence of macrophytes and invasive alien species along the investigated stretch of the Drava River. A research of the composition and relative abundance of bird species in the project area was carried out, as well as the composition and structure of fish communities. Also, appropriate locations for wintering and spawning in the lower part of the Drava River, downstream of Osijek, were defined.
Along with the above mentioned studies, an analysis of existing human impacts on biological diversity and an assessment of the current status the nature components in the project area was carried out. Based on this analysis, specific conditions for the intervention in the watercourse of the Drava River were defined as to conserve the ecological conditions in the wider project area. In addition, instructions (mitigation measures) for planning new project and reconstruction / restoration of existing object in the project area were proposed.
The Study can be accessed on the following link: