Today, May 14, 2026, a professional meeting organized by Croatian Waters (Hrvatske vode) was held at the Visitor Centre The Drava Story in Noskovci, managed by the Public Institution for the Management of Protected Parts of Nature and the Ecological Network of Virovitica Podravina County. The meeting was part of the implementation of the SWIM project (Sustainable Water and Integrated Management of Fish Migration and their Habitats in the Danube River Basin and NW Black Sea, Call: HORIZON-MISS-2024-OCEAN-01, pn: 101215230), focusing on the reference area RS4.1 – Drava River, Noskovačka Bara river branch.
The meeting brought together representatives of project partners, professional institutions, and relevant stakeholders involved in planning and implementing activities aimed at the conservation, restoration, and sustainable management of the Drava River ecosystems. The meeting was attended by representatives of the following institutions and organizations: AIH – Adriatic Innovation Center, CEKOM – Competence Center Ltd. for Research and Development, the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture of the University of Zagreb, ŠRU Odra (Sport Fishing Association), the Municipality of Čađavica, LU Jelen Noskovci (Hunting Association), ŠRU Šaran Bakić, ŠRU Klen Slatina, Virovitica-Podravina County, the Institute for Physical Planning of Virovitica-Podravina County, the Ministry of Transport, Communications, and Environmental Protection of Posavina Canton (BiH), Croatian Forests Ltd. (Hrvatske šume d.o.o.) – UŠP Slatina, the company HIDROING, and members of the project team from the Public Institution for the Management of Protected Parts of Nature and the Ecological Network of Virovitica Podravina County.
Following the opening remarks by the host, a presentation of the conceptual solution for the restoration of Noskovačka Bara was delivered by experts from the company HIDROING-Osijek. During the presentation, planned hydrotechnical and ecological measures aimed at improving the hydrological and geomorphological features of the Noskovačka Bara river branch were introduced, with a special emphasis on restoring the water regime, increasing the ecological connectivity of habitats with the Drava River, and conserving the biodiversity and landscape diversity of the area.
The meeting continued with a professional discussion during which participants exchanged opinions, proposals, and expert comments regarding the further development of project activities, as well as the possibilities for restoration and improving the state of reference area RS4.1 – Noskovačka Bara river branch. The discussion further confirmed the importance of inter-institutional cooperation and the inclusion of local stakeholders in implementing nature conservation projects, river system restoration, and sustainable management of aquatic ecosystems.
