DALIA Project – Floodplain Rehabilitation in Szigetköz
About the DALIA Project
The DALIA – Danube Region Water Lighthouse Action is an international project funded by the European Union under the Horizon Europe programme. It aims to support the restoration of aquatic and floodplain ecosystems across the Danube River Basin by collecting, demonstrating and sharing practical experience, innovative approaches and good practices.
One of the project’s demonstration pilot sites is Szigetköz, Hungary (DPS-1), a unique floodplain landscape characterised by a complex river branch network and decades of experience in large-scale water replenishment and ecosystem rehabilitation.
As part of the project, members of the Water Resources Research Group at Széchenyi István University have prepared publications documenting the historical transformation of Szigetköz, the consequences of the 1992 diversion of the Danube, and the planning, implementation and operation of the floodplain water replenishment systems.
These publications aim to make the technical, hydrological and ecological knowledge gained in Szigetköz accessible to a wider audience and to support knowledge transfer to other river and floodplain rehabilitation projects.
Publications and Downloads
The following publications have been prepared within the framework of the DALIA project and are available for free download in PDF format.
1. Szigetköz, Hungary – Large-Scale Floodplain Rehabilitation
Detailed Technical Publication | English | 2026
This 113-page technical publication provides a comprehensive overview of the hydrological and ecological characteristics of Szigetköz, historical river engineering interventions, the development and operation of water replenishment systems, and the outcomes and lessons learned from large-scale floodplain rehabilitation.
[Download Technical Publication – English (PDF)]
2. Szigetköz – A folyószabályozástól a vízpótlásig
Egy nagyléptékű ártéri rehabilitáció története
Illustrated Booklet | Hungarian | 2026
This 61-page Hungarian-language publication presents the history of Szigetköz through 34 short stories, explaining the transformation of the floodplain, the consequences of the Danube diversion, the development of water replenishment systems and the lessons learned from rehabilitation.
[Download Illustrated Booklet – Hungarian (PDF)]
3. Szigetköz – Reconnecting a Danube Floodplain
The story of a large-scale floodplain rehabilitation in Hungary
Illustrated Booklet | English | 2026
This 61-page English-language version of the illustrated booklet presents the history, technical challenges, ecological considerations and key lessons of the Szigetköz floodplain rehabilitation project to an international audience.
[Download Illustrated Booklet – English (PDF)]
Project Information
Project title: DALIA – Danube Region Water Lighthouse Action
Grant Agreement Number: 101094070
Funding Programme: Horizon Europe
Project Coordinator: National Directorate General for Water Management (OVF), Hungary
Demonstration Pilot Site: Szigetköz, Hungary (DPS-1)
Participating University Research Group: Water Resources Research Group, Széchenyi István University, Hungary
Project website: https://dalia-danube.eu/
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or CINEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
