BAD RADKERSBURG, AUSTRIA – Last week, from 27th to 28th June, the final coop MDD project conference was held. All project partners and more than 100 representatives from other institutions, organizations and projects gathered in Bad Radkersburg to celebrate the confirmation of Lower Mura Valley Biosphere Reserve and participate in the closing conference.

Prior to the official conference, coop MDD project partners held the last project meeting, summarizing all the achievements and finalizing the Cooperation Agreement that was signed the following day as part of the closing ceremony. Also, a technical meeting of national focal points of five-country TBR MDD was held prior to the conference, where members discussed the preparation of the pentalateral nomination for the world’s first five-country Biosphere Reserve Mura-Drava-Danube.

The Mura-Drava-Danube Conference started with welcome addresses from Heinrich Schmidlechner (major of Bad Radkersburg), Stanislav Rojko (major of Gornja Radgona), Cornelia Schweiner (member of the Styrian Parliament), Arno Mohl ( MDD programme manager at WWF), and Janez Potočnik (co-chair of the UN International Resource Panel), followed by summaries of main project results by project partners: M. Wagner presented the Transboundary Management and Cooperation, A. Koren elaborated on the Action Plan for Habitat Restoration and Nature Interpretation in Natura 2000 Site Mura in Slovenia, while N. Kappel gave more detail about the concept of RIVER'SCOOLs (you can see full presentations if you click the associated links).

The conference was concluded with a panel discussion on the Transboundary Biosphere Reserve Mura-Drava-Danube as a chance for nature and people. The cross-sectoral panel included participants from all five countries.

Final coop MDD project event was closed by the signing of the cooperation agreement between all project partners and relevant managing authorities from Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary, and Serbia. It is a promise of a successful continuation of work and engagement in the Mura-Drava-Danube area, the so-called Amazon of Europe.

With the conference closed, all project partners and other participants enjoyed street festivities in Bad Radkersburg as part of the Flanieren & Radieren festival celebrating the Mura River and all biosphere reserves in the Amazon of Europe.

If you are interested in the presentations, they can be found in our Library, while more photos from the event are in our Gallery.