InnoWATCCH
Innovative Water Retention for Climate Change Mitigation, Sustainable Agriculture and Flood Protection
InnoWATCCH Project
Innovative Water Retention for Climate Change Mitigation, Sustainable Agriculture and Flood Protection
The InnoWATCCH project focuses on developing innovative and sustainable water management solutions in the Danube Region to address the growing impacts of climate change, droughts, flooding, and water scarcity.
Project Information
Duration: April 1, 2025 – March 31, 2028
Total Budget: €2,014,105
Interreg Funding: €1,611,284
Countries involved: 8
Project Priority: A greener, low-carbon Danube Region
The project aims to establish an integrated and sustainable transnational water management approach in the Danube River Basin by promoting innovative water retention measures—specifically, Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) technologies—as a nature-based solution to address the impacts of climate change, support sustainable agriculture, and improve flood protection. The initiative focuses on enhancing scientific understanding and institutional capacities through pilot testing and collaborative planning across borders.
Main activities include:
- Development of a joint methodology based on archive data, delineation of sampling areas, and preparation of pre-feasibility studies for MAR technologies.
- Establishment and testing of a pilot monitoring system in four cross-border areas to assess paleochannel–Danube hydrodynamics and dike stability.
- Elaboration of pilot feasibility studies for the Upper/Upper-Middle Danube (Austria-Hungary), Middle Danube (Hungary-Serbia), Lower Danube (Bulgaria-Romania), and Sava River (Bosnia-Herzegovina–Croatia).
- Preparation of a methodology handbook for the application of MAR technologies in the Danube River Basin. • Development of a joint action plan to support the basin-wide application of MAR and improve dike stability.
- Strengthening institutional capacity, with at least five partners newly involved in MAR-related activities.
Main beneficiaries include project partners, national and regional public authorities in water and flood management, local municipalities in the pilot areas, sectoral agencies, research and higher education institutions, infrastructure and public service providers, SMEs—particularly in agriculture—and the general public as water users.
Background
Climate change is causing increasingly irregular water cycles across the region, leading to:
frequent droughts
declining groundwater levels
water shortages for agriculture
increased flood risks
pressure on ecosystems and water resources
The project focuses especially on the Danube and Sava river basins, where these challenges are particularly significant.
Project Objectives
The InnoWATCCH project supports sustainable and integrated water management by strengthening:
transnational cooperation
data-driven water management
climate resilience
sustainable agricultural practices
The project also develops innovative water retention solutions, tests pilot actions, and promotes the use of Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) technologies.
Key Focus Areas
Sustainable water management
Flood protection
Groundwater recharge
Climate adaptation
Sustainable agriculture
Monitoring and data systems
Cross-border cooperation
Partnership
The project is led by the General Directorate of Water Management (Hungary).
The partnership includes universities, water authorities, research institutes and regional organizations from multiple countries in the Danube region, including Serbia.
