Improvement of the navigational systems and topo-hydrographic measurements on the Danube River – Phase 2

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NEED AND ADDED VALUE FOR THE DANUBE REGION STRATEGY: During the first programming period 2007-2013 EAEMDR (Executive Agency for Exploration and Maintenance of the Danube River) implemented the project Improvement of the navigational systems and topohydrographic measurements on the Danube River under the Bulgarian Operational Programme on Transport. Within this project the following activities were accomplished: - establishment of control GPS geodetic network along the Bulgarian section of the Danube River and its connection with EUREF. - delivery and installation of 9 automatic hydrometric and 9 meteorological stations. - delivery of floating and coastal navigational signs. Activity 4 of the project, namely the delivery of a specialised surveying vessel for hydrographic measurements was not implemented according to the contract amendment and was postponed for the 2014-2020 programming period. This activity has been under implementation within the project Improvement of the navigational systems and topohydrographic measurements on the Danube River – Phase. 2. The new hydrographic vessel was baptised and launched in March 2017 by the Bulgarian Minister of Transport, Information Technology and Communications and the European coordinator for the Rhine-Danube Corridor Karla Peijs. The new hydrographic vessel replaced an old one, which has been fully depreciated since. 2009. The vessel has been used for hydrographical surveys on the Danube River by EAEMDR which was the Bulgarian competent authority for ensuring safe navigational conditions. The new surveying vessel, together with the new modern equipment on it, has been used for implementation of adequate hydrographic measurements in the common Bulgarian-Romanian section of the Danube River, which were necessary for studying the hydromorphological regime of the river. The collected information has also been used to continuously update the electronic navigational charts as well as for prediction of fairway changes. Thus all users of the Danube waterway benefit from the project implementation. In addition, the implementation of the project had a positive impact on reducing the number of incidents along the Danube river due to the significant improvement of navigational conditions. OBJECTIVE(S) OF THE PROJECT: The overall project objective was to ensure better and safe navigational conditions through improvement of the navigational systems and topohydrographic measurements in the Bulgarian section of the Danube River, part of the TEN-T Rhine-Danube Corridor. The specific project objectives were as follows: - achieving the international standards for implementation of topographic measurements, including hydrographical and hydrological activities necessary for studying the hydromorphological changes along the inland waterways. - decreasing the time for delivery of information to the users as one of the services related to the fairway conditions and the waters of the river. PLANNED PROJECT ACTIVITIES: The project comprised the implementation of 2 activities: - Delivery of specialized surveying vessel, including a boat for hydrographic measurements in shallow and narrow sections. - Project management, monitoring and dissemination. TRANSBOUNDARY IMPACT: The project was of common interest according to Art. 7 of EC Regulation 1315/2013 on Union guidelines for the development of the trans-European transport network as it is directly aimed at the improvement of navigation on the Danube River, part of the Rhine-Danube corridor, thus it affected all countries, through which the corridor passes. The project improved the safety of navigation in the common Romanian-Bulgarian section of the Danube river so that this part of the Lower Danube has been directly affected. PROJECT BENEFICIARIES / TARGET GROUPS: The project benefits all users of the inland waterway like shipping companies, skippers, transport and logistics companies etc. incl. leisure ones (i.e cruise and fishing).

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