SoS2LearnDBS aims to drive community-led restoration of oceans, seas, and waters, by applying a comprehensive, multi-pillar approach to the Danube River basin and Black Sea region. By enhancing water literacy and community engagement through cooperative learning and capacity-building programs, the project will empower local stakeholders to implement innovative solutions across multiple areas, including technological, nature-based, social, cultural, regulatory, financial, and governance approaches. Strategic planning and adaptive management will support the creation of transition agendas that align with regional and EU environmental restoration goals. Two forms of cascade funding (FSTP) and technical assistance will be provided to communities of actors, emphasizing practical skills, resource access, and social innovation to ensure sustainable and scalable restoration efforts. Initiatives benefiting from this funding must make a clear contribution to the Mission Ocean objectives and targets of protecting and restoring marine and freshwater ecosystems and biodiversity, preventing and eliminating pollution, and/or advancing a carbon-neutral, circular blue economy. The project will implement a robust monitoring and evaluation framework to track progress and incorporate continuous feedback to optimize outcomes. Communication, dissemination, and exploitation activities will leverage digital platforms, gamification, and interactive tools to engage a wide range of stakeholders and maximize the project’s reach and impact. SoS2LearnDBS will align with existing EU initiatives, including the Mission Ocean Implementation Platform and other Lighthouse projects, contributing to the broader objective of restoring Europe’s marine and freshwater ecosystems by 2030. The consortium’s geographical span and expertise uniquely position it to support the transition to the deployment and upscaling phase of Mission Ocean, fostering impactful and lasting change.

SWIM project aligns with the EU Mission “Restore our Ocean and Waters,” aiming to restore, protect, and enhance habitats of migratory fish species in the Danube River Basin and the Northwestern Black Sea region. By developing and implementing innovative, sustainable, and scalable solutions through 13 activities foreseen at 7 pilot sites, SWIM seeks to improve habitat connectivity, quality and conservation, and overall, the aquatic ecosystems health . The project will set new benchmarks in habitat restoration and actively contribute to the implementation of EU environmental policies through a holistic, multi-disciplinary approach. Building upon extensive past work in relevant projects such as MEASURES, WE PASS 1 and 2, SIMONA and the Danube Lighthouse projects DALIA, DaWetRest and Restore4Life, the SWIM consortium goes a step further in implementing actual complementary technologies (ex-situ restocking actions, hatchery recovery, fish passages, lateral reconnections, digital platform in articulation with MEASURES Info System and DTO, distributed Info centres, etc) in a wide range of freshwater streams (Danube and Tributaries). A key element of SWIM’s strategy is fostering transnational cooperation among diverse stakeholders and across different societal levels, co-designing joint solutions with governmental bodies, NGOs, researchers, and local communities, working through SWIM Alliance. This broad involvement aims to raise public support and ensure the long-term sustainability of the habitat restoration and protection measures , fostering biodiversity conservation, enhancing ecological resilience and the provision of ecosystem services, and thus promoting the socio-economic well-being of the local communities . SWIM’s comprehensive approach to ecological restoration and management has the potential to serve as a model for similar efforts across Europe and beyond, making a significant impact on the health and sustainability of aquatic ecosystems.

DANSER represents a multidisciplinary holistic and scientific based approach focused on the Danube River basin, a vital yet sensitive ecosystem facing climate change and human impacts. DANSER addresses pressing sediment management needs in the Danube River ecosystem, incorporating cutting-edge technologies and aligning with EU policies and directives. Especially attaining the core guidelines of the Danube Sediments Management Guidance. DANSER delivers a pilot phase and envisages the deployment phase, with a strong emphasis on demonstrating active and passive innovative solutions, such as a) spatio-temporal mapping of natural and anthropogenic fluvial processes, b) sediment transport modelling, (c) sediment dating by radionuclide and radiometric methods, d) historical pollution analysis (e) geophysical survey and 3D historical reconstruction of the demonstration sites, (f) river-groundwater dynamics and pollution transport modelling, (g) river processes forecast simulations based on historical and active processes, (h) sediment budget analysis based on sedimentation measuring stations, UAV and bathymetry surveys, (i) water levels and quality monitoring and analysis j) river-side arm hydrotechnical connectivity interventions, (k) stakeholder-engaged sediment parametric evaluation and co management and (l) Nature based solutions for biodiversity characterization monitoring and improvement. On the soft measures side, DANSER enforces proactively a transnational sediment task force, from cooperating with all related instances, and commits with local communities and citizens engagement, including participatory tools. DANSER seeks to restore sediment balance, improve sediment flow and quality, characterise pollution transport mechanisms and integrate such actions and knowledge with EU and worldwide counterparts while still sustaining local and regional economies. DANSER will contribute significantly to the create a sustainable and harmonious human-Danube relationships.