Vienna focuses on the groundwater model for Lobau: Ecosystem!

Vienna focuses on the groundwater model for Lobau: Ecosystem!

The Vienna municipal council committee has today decided to invest significant investments in a groundwater flow model, the main goal of which is to improve the water balance in the Donauauen National Park, especially in the Lobau. This region represents an important recreation area and at the same time harbors a sensitive ecosystem that is increasingly exposed to drying and silting processes. In order to counteract this, additional water has been flowing from the new Danube to the Obere Lobau since 2022, where up to 1,500 liters per second are endowed.

Climate Councilor Jürgen Czernohorszky emphasizes the need to protect the city's drinking water supply. The hydrology and hydrogeological framework of Lobau have changed since a project from 2015, which has already shown risks to water supply in various endowsed ends. For this reason, the city of Vienna will now examine the end of the lower Lobau in order to evaluate possible water management measures.

financing and project scope

For the planned groundwater flow model, 270,000 euros are planned for the years 2025 and 2026. The new model should not only serve as a basis for decision-making, but also take into account the nature conservation, national park and water law framework. This is particularly important in a region that, like the Danube meadows, protects the last large floodplain landscape of Central Europe and tries to restore its original naturally.

With an area of ​​more than 9,600 hectares, which was founded in 1996 and is protected internationally, the Danube-Auer National Park offers space for rare animal and plant species, which are funded by innovative projects for river revitalization. The motto "Free Flow. Wild Forest" reflects the goal of enabling the natural development of nature without economic restrictions.

water balance and climate change

A balanced landscape water balance proves to be essential for healthy ecosystems and water availability in times of climate change. As the Environmental Office emphasizes, Germany also suffers from a poor ecological state of many waters. Extreme weather events such as dry periods and floods increase, which emphasizes the importance of clarification and improvement in the water balance.

renaturation measures can make a decisive contribution to improving water retention capacity and promoting biodiversity. Sustainable management of the areas, such as it is sought in the Lobau and the surrounding areas, is therefore essential. The pressure on floors and water can only be reduced by such measures and the natural water distribution and storage in floors and plants can be supported.