“I grew up in a small village along the Danube Bend, where the river was part of everyday life. As a child, I spent countless hours on its banks, swimming, fishing, exploring the floodplain forests, picking mushrooms and observing wildlife. That early fascination stayed with me and eventually shaped my path as a biologist and ecologist,” says Tibor Erős, fish and conservation ecology group leader at the Balaton Limnological Research Institute.
Erős is a lead researcher on theDanube Lifelines project, which brings together 24 partners and 17 associated organizations from 11 countries to enhance the ecological health of the waterway by restoring fish migration routes and river habitats. Coordinated by the University of Natura Resources and Life Sciences in Vienna, the project focuses on eight demonstration sites across Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria.
Hungary hosts two of the sites. One is along the Rába River at Rábagyarmat (about 250 km southwest of Budapest by road, close to the border with Austria), where experts are restoring fish habitats. The second one is along the Danube between Gönyü and Budapest, with a focus on evaluating and selecting side arms for restoration.
Danube Lifelines was formerly launched in 2025, although Erős says his involvement with his fellow researchers began through “long-standing collaborations” over the years.
“With colleagues at BOKU, I built a strong professional relationship, and when this opportunity emerged, they approached me to join forces. From there, we worked together to build a core team, which gradually expanded into a large, multidisciplinary international consortium. We had to define a shared vision, bring together the right expertise from different countries, and clearly outline how each partner would contribute, […] creating a compelling plan that could deliver real impact on a European scale,” he recalls.
In recent years, the European Union has placed a strong emphasis on the sustainable use and restoration of natural ecosystems. One of its most ambitious initiatives is the EU Mission to Restore Ocean and Waters, which aims to protect and revive aquatic environments across Europe.
The mission is an overarching framework to restore marine and freshwater ecosystems by 2030, in line with the EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030. Other pillars of the mission include the elimination of pollution under the EU Action Plan Towards Zero Pollution for Air, Water and Soil, and a strategy to make a sustainable carbon-neutral economy, consistent with European Climate Law and the Sustainable Blue Economy Strategy.
“Within this framework, the Danube basin stands out as a key priority,” Erős explains. “The Danube is not only Europe’s second-longest river, but also a lifeline that connects multiple countries, cultures, and ecosystems. One of the major challenges here is the protection and restoration of migratory fish species, many of [which] have declined dramatically due to human interventions such as dams and river regulation,” the professor says.
“[Our team is] part of a large international effort responding to a Horizon Europe call specifically focused on restoring migratory fish habitats in the Danube basin. These are highly competitive projects. Typically, only one or two consortia are selected across the entire European Union, so simply being part of a winning team is already a major achievement,” Erős says.
“Today, my work focuses on understanding how human activities, such as river regulation, barrier or dam construction, pollution, and land use changes, affect freshwater ecosystems. A lot of my work relates to the Danube River and its tributaries, determining how humans influence changes in the diversity and dynamics of fish communities,” the researcher explains. He and his colleagues have developed practical bioassessment tools to “take the pulse” of rivers and lakes.
“These methods allow us to assess their ecological condition in a clear and measurable way. Importantly, this also supports European environmental policy, particularly the EU Water Framework Directive, which requires countries to monitor and improve the health of their waters. The ultimate goal of our work is to help restore and maintain the Danube as a thriving, resilient ecosystem; not only for wildlife, but also for the millions of people who depend on it,” Erős says. At its core, the project is about bringing rivers back to life for nature and people.
“To do this, we are working on several interconnected goals. First, we are demonstrating practical, real-world solutions that help migratory fish return to their natural habitats. A key part of this is identifying and prioritizing the most important migration corridors across national borders. Rivers like the Danube do not belong to a single country; they connect entire regions. By restoring these ecological ‘highways,’ we can gradually rebuild a network of free-flowing rivers across Europe,” the scientist notes.
However, scientific solutions alone are not enough. For real change to happen, they must be adopted by decision-makers, Erős argues. “That’s why we are also creating a blueprint for restoring migratory fish populations that can be used beyond this single project. We also aim to replicate and scale up these solutions in other regions across Europe. What works here can inspire similar actions elsewhere, multiplying the impact of the project,” he believes.
The Danube is more than a natural habitat or place of relaxation; it has also long powered commercial operations. Erős says the team is exploring innovative economic models that align ecological restoration with sustainable development, “to support a transition toward a circular economy in the Danube basin, where environmental health and economic opportunities go hand in hand.” Given the project’s scale, Erős also emphasizes the significance of education.
“We work closely with local communities, stakeholders, fellow scientists, and river users. Key collaborators include the General Directorate of Water Management, organizations such as Danube-Ipoly National Park, NGO WWF Hungary, river engineers and ecohydrologists from Budapest University of Technology and Economics, as well as fishing associations. By involving people directly, we increase the chances that restoration efforts will be both sustainable and widely supported,” he argues.
“We have to recognize that restoring a river like the Danube is a long-term effort; of course, the challenges are enormous. The Danube has been heavily modified over decades, even centuries. Today, more than a million barriers fragment European rivers, and a large share of floodplains has been degraded. On top of that, climate change is adding new pressures; altering water flows, temperatures, and causing prolonged drought periods in ways we are only beginning to fully understand. It is clear that we cannot ‘fix’ the Danube overnight. But I do believe we can start a lasting transformation,” Erős concludes.
This article was first published in the Budapest Business Journal print issue of April 24, 2026.
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