DANUBIUS-RI, The International Centre for Advanced Studies on River-Sea Systems: An RI for the river-sea challenges of the 21st Century

As a pioneering pan-European distributed research infrastructure, DANUBIUS-RI is unique to Europe and the international community, focused on interdisciplinary research on River-Sea systems.  At a time of unprecedented environmental and climate driven change, it is critical we understand the influence of land-sea interactions on coastal and ocean areas, how these will change with the intensification of extreme events and seek sustainable climate adaptation solutions. DANUBIUS-RI is a trans-disciplinary research gateway, enabling land-sea researchers with access to data, expertise, training and key study sites, along with their associated local assets. 

DANUBIUS-RI responds to the following major Research Priorities to assess:

• Water Quantity: water stores and flows across River-Sea continua for sustainable water resource management and mitigate against extreme events.
• Sediment Balance:    sediment dynamics in source-to-sink systems, to support sustainable sediment management.
• Nutrients and Pollutants: independent and combined effects of nutrients and pollutants (in both water and sediments) at River-Sea System scales, to establish the critical thresholds needed for tracking progress towards good status.
• Climate Change: ongoing impacts of Climate Change, and improve adaptation measures within and across River-Sea Systems.
• Extreme Events: extreme event occurrence and impact severity on River-Sea Systems, for floods and droughts, to support cost-effective nature-based solution development, disaster mitigation, and management.
• Protecting and Restoring Ecosystems and Biodiversity: how changing River-Sea Systems affect future ecosystem service provision, and their sustainability. Understand the relationship between biodiversity and connectivity across River-Sea Systems and its response to multiple stressors and support climate adaptation.
• Digital Twin: and build high resolution, multi-dimensional digital representations of River-Sea Systems, that stakeholders.

Besides access to Open and FAIR Data, DANUBIUS_RI provides key interdisciplinary services encompassing in situ measurement, satellite EO observations, numerical modelling and management scenario development.

The Services are grouped in 7 major categories, working with you or on your behalf:

• Digital and non-digital data, including metadata, data and archived samples .
• Tools, methods and expert support, including access to facilities and equipment.
• Measurement and analytical support, including physical, chemical, biological, biogeochemical, ecotoxicological, hydromorphological, sedimentological, and bathymetric sampling and analyses.
• Diagnosis and Impact, through modelling and impact assessment analysesthat harness data from previous or expected results (diagnostic) or through forecasts and ‘what if’ scenarios (from models).
• Solution Development, connecting you with the right partners across wide-ranging scientific expertise to develop solutions for your specific challenges.
• Tests, Audit, Validation and Certification: We validate and quality assure outputs, and provide DANUBIUS Commons accreditation and Accredited Service Providers certification services.
• Build capacity through the design/co-design, development and delivery of training courses for companies, innovators, authorities and researchers in the four areas of expertise (Observation, Analysis, Modelling, and Impact), and partner with you to organize bespoke conferences and workshops to address River-Sea System challenges.

The Research Infrastructure, accepted on the ESFRI Roadmap in 2016, is expected to become an operational ERIC during 2025.