Integrated transboundary Tisza river basin management reinforcement by natural water retention measures

Interdependency between river basin water retention capacity and different types of water erosion is well documented and recognized by researchers and practitioners. Erosion adverse effects on sustainable water and land management from local (catchment/ drainage scale) to river basin level are various and generated by natural and anthropogenic drivers. The solutions and measures to address these issues span across Multilateral Environmental Agreements, sectoral policies and legal framework. Consequently, the effective cooperation among different sectors, stakeholders and decision makers is required from local catchment to transboundary river basin level. Natural water retention measures (NWRM) multi-functionality in addressing water-related challenges by integrating different policy objectives at the river basin scale, increased their relevance identification in river basin management plans. Selected NWRM with medium to high benefits with respect to erosion reduction, sediment delivery, flood risk reduction, etc., are summarized. The main steps in flood risk management, “win-win” measures identification by Tisza countries and NWRM included in the Integrated Tisza River Basin Management Plan (2019) are presented. Well-structured data collection approach for different policies integration instead of underlying differences and discrepancies is a good starting point for the productive shared river basins management and governance. If the implementation of the NWRM have potential downstream cumulative effects on low flow water regime the mechanism for evaluation of potential consequences has to be established and defined.