The focus of the project is the river Drava/Drau, a 725 km long river connecting countries, cultures, and unique plant- and animal communities from the Alps to the Pannonian Plain. The river provides important ecosystem services for the communities living in its vicinity, including high-quality drinking water, reliable irrigation for food production, energy, and a wide range of leisure activities. To be able to keep benefiting from these services in a cross-border region, the consortium of two Carinthia University of Applied Sciences departments (AT), the National Institute of Biology (SI), the University Maribor (SI), and the National Laboratory for Health, Environment and Food (SI) is going to utilize integrated and collaborative monitoring of key indicators for water quality, ecosystem integrity, and human health using advanced molecular techniques.
The ecological integrity of rivers and streams such as Drava/Drau largely depends on the intensity of human activity within the catchment and the point and diffuse inputs to the river, respectively. Especially the input of contaminants and hazardous biological agents, such as enteric viruses and antimicrobial-resistant microorganisms may severely alter water conditions. At the European level, the good conditions of water bodies are defined by the Water Framework Directive (WFD) and the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (UWWTD) for ecological river conditions and human inputs to the river, respectively. To be able to provide timely management responses to undesirable conditions according to the directives, efficient freshwater monitoring should be implemented. Key approaches that can support such monitoring consist of molecular techniques compatible with conventional freshwater monitoring. These include methods based on informative molecules of organisms , such as DNA, RNA, or proteins and contaminants.
The ZDrauA project will focus on improving and harmonizing cross-border next-generation biomonitoring (NGB) of biological water-quality elements in the Drava/Drau River and its catchment extending within Austria and Slovenia. In collaboration with several key stakeholders from both countries 1) transboundary and national biomonitoring plans via the development of common and standardized NGB protocols and guidelines to be used for WFD and UWWTD assessments of rivers' ecological status will be reevaluated and adjusted for local conditions. 2) Transboundary collaboration of research organizations and users will be fostered through the application of the proposed methods on selected WFD and reference sites in the region. 3) Transboundary method applicability via the establishment and development of a shared DNA information and molecular data sharing portal of key indicators will be provided with user guidelines. 4) Extensive outreach activities on the advantages and limitations of NGB monitoring approaches for key stakeholders, SMEs, and local communities will be performed. The project will be a trailblazer for the cross-border and regional cooperation between research institutes and practitioners, the public, as well as decision-making bodies.
Within the project, we will establish and intercalibrate innovative and state-of-the-art NGB methods for benthic invertebrates, fish, and pathogens in the Drava catchment in Austria and Slovenia using complementary scientific knowledge from both countries. We will develop common (e)DNA protocols and guidelines and work on their uptake into existing freshwater monitoring and action plans through cooperation with responsible regulatory bodies in both countries. In a pilot action, we will apply developed (e)DNA metabarcoding methods to monitor the benthic invertebrates, fish, and pathogens. Additionally, we will develop cross-border educational activities (workshops, meetings, events, publications) to promote knowledge exchange on possibilities and limitations of NGB aiming at i) local institutions/agencies responsible for WFD and UWWTD, ii) researchers and water management professionals, iii) the general public and students and scholars.
The major novelty of ZDrauA, which will be conducted in the region for the first time, is a synchronized cross-border implementation of diverse NGB methods. Novel data that can be used for future nature conservation and pathogen surveillance in the catchment of the river will be generated. Molecular biological approaches that will enable the use of a single sample for multiple purposes (biodiversity and pathogen assessment), have the potential to significantly improve outputs that result from the reduction of the needed workload. In addition, novel database and data interpretation instructions, as well as guidelines for stakeholders on the application of these methods will be provided for the first time in both countries.
Project Duration: January 2025 – December 2027
Financed by: Interreg program Slovenija – Avstrija 2021–2027, Co-financed by KWF
