Safety

Safety is our number one priority. It is the essential prerequisite for the expedient and permanent use of the river as a natural, municipal and economic area.  

We understand the environment, economy and flood protection to be systems that both communicate with and complement each other. As with all our core activities, we therefore adopt a holistic and integrative approach to developments in the field of safety. Taking the significant environmental aspects into account, viadonau is responsible for the efficient protection of thousands of people living in the riparian areas of the Danube and its major tributaries.  

We place great importance on construction measures designed to prevent flooding, thereby protecting the precious floodplains and grasslands as well as the flora and fauna and rare species that inhabit them.  

viadonau, as managing body of the Danube Flood Control Agency (DHK), is responsible for preventive and protective measures in the field of DHK flood protection systems (dams, weirs, etc.). This includes structural arrangements and their refurbishment as well as flood emergency management services. Our hydrology experts operate at the highest technical level to ensure the protection and maintenance of approximately 300 kilometres of flood protection embankments along the Danube, March and Thaya. In addition, 16 bridges, 64 sluices and the operating ports are also protected.  

A variety of starting points are utilised in order to efficiently and sustainably improve safety along the Danube. In addition to careful monitoring by our experts in the field of hydrology and hydrography and the continuous development of River Information Services, we are committed to a uniform, standardised, shared waterway management system for all Danube countries and are constantly striving for the technological modernisation of inland waterway navigation.