The Danube is an environmental treasure, but it is also one of the most modified rivers in Europe. Canalization, flood protection and hydroelectric power plants have altered its natural balance.
A few kilometers away, a large dam blocks the flow of sediment. This can increase the risk of flooding, hinder navigation and affect water quality and ecology. Researchers observe river behavior when imbalances between sediment and flow energy occur.
“When there is imbalance, and we have more sediment and less energy, sedimentation occurs. And, when we have less sediment and more water, erosion occurs. This whole problem and understanding it can help us take effective measures to improve the situation,” says Katarina Holubova, head of the Department of River Morphology and Hydrology at the Water Research Institute in Bratislava.
The DREAM project, led by Professor Helmut Habersack of the Vienna University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), aims to promote knowledge exchange for better sediment management at the Austrian-Slovak border. It has a budget of 13.5 million euros, more than 60% of which is financed by the European Union’s Cohesion Fund.
To better understand the morphodynamics of the Danube, scientists carry out simulations in this Vienna laboratory. They have thus created computer models so that authorities and companies can make better decisions. But they face a problem of scale.
For this purpose, a huge full-scale (1:1) hydraulics laboratory is being built in Vienna, with a single discharge capacity of 10,000 liters per second – the equivalent of 60 bathtubs per second. Improved research conditions should make it possible to promote innovative measures for sustainable river management.
“Rivers represent a living space in our environment. They are good for leisure, for human beings. But, of course, also for animals and plants, so we need to study river systems. We are sure that with this hydraulics laboratory we can make a major contribution to solving our problems,” says Christine Sindelar, head of the Hydraulics Laboratory at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna. The scientists hope that their research will help to restore the sediment balance in many rivers around the world.
From Fregata Space we have managed to monitor the Danube area between Austria and Slovakia.
Analyzing the DOC index, which provides information on dissolved organic carbon. It is a component of great importance in natural waters, because it performs both biotic and abiotic functions and its production can be enhanced by high rates of plant productivity. In water sources it comes from decomposing natural organic matter and synthetic chemical compounds.
Source: https://es.euronews.com/2021/11/19/lukashenko-es-un-titere-putin-es-el-cerebro-afirma-rasmussen
