Challenges

In accordance with the Waterway Act (Wasserstraßengesetz), waterway management is one of the core tasks of viadonau. It is of great importance to promote continuous improvement and innovation regarding waterway management. In doing so, even future tasks can be performed efficiently and effectively within the budgetary and legal framework.

Description of the measure

  •  Develop international benchmarks and analyse innovative methods and technologies
  • Foster national and international cooperation regarding innovation in waterway management within and beyond the Danube region
  • Develop and implement application-oriented innovation projects for infrastructure maintenance and development as well as ecology, e.g.: 
    - Management of fine sediments (monitoring, drainage and exploitation)
    - Innovative methods to implement the integrative approach (near-natural river
       engineering)
    - Adaptation strategies for climate impacts
    - Hydrodynamics, bedload balance, river bed erosion
    - Impact analysis of engineering and maintenance measures on the ecological
       situation in river systems (e.g. granulometric riverbed improvement, optimisation
       of groynes)
  • Optimise data management and analysis: implement Web GIS for better data availability within viadonau, integrate present legal aspects, publish regular and customer-oriented evaluations and long-term analyses
  • Extend modelling and forecast models: further develop water level forecasts and information on shallow water sections and synchronise them with other riparian states, model developments at fords, improve hydraulic modelling, model the effects of river engineering or ecological projects on navigation (e.g. cross flows following the linkage of old tributaries)