SONDAR SK-AT Final Meeting at Čunovo (SK)

On September 11 and 12, the final meeting of the project of SONDAR SK-AT (Soil Strategy Network in the Danube Region) took place in the Slovak urban district of Cunovo. This event was solemnly opened by Štefan Adam, Eng., State Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture of Slovakia, and by Ms. Gabriela Ferenčáková, Mayor of Čunovo.
Within the framework of this project, the connection between soil and flooding was investigated, and the results were presented to the participants by Prof. Dr. Eduard Klaghofer from wpa at the final meeting. The results of this study were gathered into a handbook for the model regions of Angern upon the Morava River and Zahorska Ves, which was distributed to the participants at this meeting. In the model regions, further meetings shall take place in the course of this project with regional stakeholders and mayors, in order to convey the results of this project.

Dr. Erwin Szlezak, Lower Austrian Agricultural District Authorities, held a speech on an expansion of the SONDAR network in municipalities, enterprises and agriculture within the framework of the Working Community of the Danube Regions.
Within the framework of this event, also the Slovak coordination center of the European Land and Soil Alliance (ELSA) was announced. The Slovak Soil Science and Conservation Research Institute (VUPOP) will assume acquisition of members and member support in Slovakia. The Chairman of the Board of the European Land and Soil Alliance (ELSA), Christian Steiner, Grad. Eng. welcomed VUPOP to the European Land and Soil Alliance, and showed possibilities and advantages of a membership in ELSA to the participants of this meeting. Together with presentations of results of the project study on soil and flooding in the model municipalities, further municipalities shall be informed about ELSA.
Within the framework of this meeting, a workshop day was performed for committed school forms of the cross-border competition „Painting with the Colours of the Earth". Numerous activities were offered to the young visitors on the location of this event. In addition to a visit of the bird sanctuary in the nearby Danube meadows, also a painting seminar was performed by Ms. Prof. Irena Racek.

A large number of project partners of the SONDAR projects from Hungary and the Czech Republic also participated in this meeting, where the strong SONDAR network was perceptible. On account of the excellent cooperation in the SONDAR projects with the Slovak, Hungarian and Czech partners, efforts are already made to establish a common network in the Danube region.
As a conclusion of the first day of this meeting, a visit to the nearby "Danubiana" Museum took place, where the arts dealer Vincent Polakovič presented to the participants the exposition and the building.
The second day of this meeting focused on a field-trip. After a visit to the rehabilitation grounds inclusive of the bird sanctuary, the participants visited the Gabčíkovo hydroelectric power station.
Below you can view some photos of this meeting.

Fotos: © Verein BIENE