Danube River Basin Enhanced Flood Forecasting Cooperation (DAREFFORT)

The DAREFFORT project is a horizontal initiative to implement a flood risk mitigation measure in a joint and sustainable way on catchment level.

The reliable and comprehensive hydrologic data is the basis of sound forecasting in any country of the Danube Basin. None of the flood risk mitigation measures serves better the protection of human lives and the social estate than enhancing the preparation time to avoid catastrophes that could have been caused by predicted floods.

The project will deliver an comprehensive overview about the present status of the national forecasting capabilities from which the partners and the stakeholders could derive the common goals in order to develop the existing system in a comprehensive way. The mutual understandings will be recorded in a common vision of the partners.

The partners jointly work out the policy recommendations to be submitted to ICPDR (International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River) in the interest of the establishment of the Danube Hydrological Information System (DanubeHIS) which is a fundamental step towards flexible and sustainable data exchange. The main focus is to enhance the access to the recorded hydrologic and ice data and to provide harmonized distribution for all the countries in the Danube catchment. All the experiences during the project would be settled in a guideline and a publicly available e-learning material for benefit of all the users.

A specific objective is focused on strengthening transnational water management and flood risk prevention.