UNESCO Biosphere Reserve

The biosphere reserve encompassing these natural areas is one of the largest nature sites in Europe.

The Mura-Drava-Danube Biosphere Reserve covers an area of over 943,000 hectares and includes several protected natural areas, Natura 2000 sites and non-protected areas in five countries. In Hungary, it includes part of the protected natural areas and Natura 2000 sites of Duna-Drava National Park Directorate and Balaton-Upands National Park Directorate.

The purpose of the biosphere reserve is to collectively conserve and restore natural habitats and ecosystems, to protect biodiversity, and to provide a wide range of ecosystem services. In addition to research, monitoring and exchange of information, cooperation between biosphere member parties is intended also to play an important role in revitalising and promoting the relationship between people and nature.

The biosphere reserve is home to a number of special fish species and more than 300 bird species. Floodplains across the five countries provide drinking water and the unique landscape supports the development of sustainable tourism. In the future, cooperation between the countries will also focus on the joint development of ecosystem services.

 

Duna-Drava National Park

Duna-Drava National Park was founded in the spring of 1996, extending over a total area of nearly 50,000 hectares along the two rivers Danube and Drava. It is water that has the primary role in shaping the landscape: floods, extra masses of water and nutrient-rich sediment. There are mystic floodplain woodlands along the rivers, with colourful and diverse wildlife. Almost the entire area of Duna-Drava National Park is located in former floodlands.

The process of declaring particularly valuable habitats associated with rivers as protected areas started in 1962. Duna-Drava National Park was established by the Minister of the Environment and Spatial Development in Decree No. 7/1996 (IV. 17.) KTM. Under the name Duna-Drava National Park, the minister declared altogether 20,560.8 hectares along the Danube section between Sió mouth and the southern border of the country and areas along the Drava as protected, and added 28,918 hectares of previously protected areas to the new national park. The national park thus covers an area of 49,478.8 ha, of which 13,431.6 ha are strictly protected. 

Duna-Drava National Park Directorate, created from the South-Transdanubian Nature Conservation Directorate as its successor, was appointed as the area manager of the national park. 

The operational area of Duna-Drava National Park Directorate includes 5 landscape protection areas, as well as another 19 protected sites of national importance, all of which shelter special, unique treasures.

Our website provides detailed information of all these, introducing the natural values, the conservation work performed at the directorate, and tourism opportunities in the area.
 

LIFE RESTORE for MDD project

The ‘LIFE RESTORE for MDD – Preserving and restoring floodplain forest habitats along the Mura-Drava-Danube’ project is a joint initiative of Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary and Serbia to conserve and restore the largest contiguous riparian forests in the UNESCO Five-country Biosphere Reserve Mura-Drava-Danube (TBR MDD). The partners work together to combat the degradation of floodplain forests by restoring and improving 336 ha of floodplains, 54 km of water bodies and mobilising 966,000 m³ of sediment through river dynamics.

The project area is a 2,100 km² large river corridor connecting 17 Natura 2000 sites and other protected areas in the TBR MDD. The sites form a continuous string along 700 km of the three rivers. Floodplain forests account for 49.4% (435 km²) of the area’s forest structure.

River regulation, unsustainable silvicultural practices, spread of invasive alien species, loss of diversity, depletion of gene pools, weakly harmonised transboundary restoration planning have the most negative impact on the status of these habitats. These threats are addressed through restoration measures at 29 sites along the three rivers, where the project partners – made up of water managers, nature conservationists, foresters, protected area managers, regional managers and NGOs – are reconnecting river branches, widening river beds and converting poplar plantations into more natural floodplain forests. The restoration work is supported by extensive public outreach, environmental education and continuous monitoring.

Click here for more information about the project

Link to UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB)

 

Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or CINEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.