Rescue for the Lobau: National Park Advisory Board calls for urgent measures!

Rescue for the Lobau: National Park Advisory Board calls for urgent measures!

The discussion about the protection of the Lobau, the beautiful part of Vienna's Donau-Auen National Park, is currently getting louder. The Vienna National Park Advisory Board has called for a comprehensive rescue package to preserve the natural environment and at the same time guarantee the city's drinking water supply. This comes from a report by MyDistrict out.

The focus of these efforts is the reconnection of the Lower Lobau to the Danube. In addition, measures should be taken to combat the deepening of the Danube east of Vienna in order to maintain the natural flow of water. Another important concern is the treatment of the Lobau groundwater works, which is crucial for the drinking water supply. The resolution of the National Park Advisory Board was written on July 18, 2025 and receives the support of all members.

The experts behind the plan

The National Park Advisory Board, a statutory body that advises the magistrate and the national park administration, brings together diverse expertise. OStBR DI Hans Peter Graner from the OeAV acts as chairman, while DI Horst Weitschacher from the Vienna Chamber of Commerce takes the deputy position. Other members include experts from nature conservation, agriculture and tourism, such as Christine Dubravac-Widholm from the Friends of Nature and Mag. Peter Huber from the Austrian Tourist Club.

The recommendations for saving the Lobau are clear and include both short-term and long-term measures. Among other things, there is a demand for the continuation of the donation from the Upper Lobau to the Lower Lobau. It is also urgently necessary to compensate for the bedload deficit that arose between 1996 and 2017. To ensure water quality, the experts are planning to introduce a multi-stage filter system for the Lobau waterworks.

An ecosystem worth protecting

The Vienna National Park Advisory Board emphasizes that there is no contradiction between the protection of the floodplain ecology and the drinking water supply. Rather, measures are necessary to combat the sinking of the groundwater level in order to ensure the functionality of the groundwater wells in the Lower Lobau. These safety precautions are essential to preserve the valuable habitats and biodiversity in this unique ecosystem in the long term.

Although the discussion about protecting the Lobau is in full swing, there is still a lot to be done. The need for a comprehensive rescue package that takes into account the environmental, social and infrastructural challenges is obvious. The measures proposed by the committee are important not only for nature, but also for Vienna's future generations. Strong, environmentally conscious planning could ensure that Lobau remains a place of restful nature.