History

To protect the Mura-Drava-Danube region, WWF and conservation partners across the five countries have been working for almost 30 years to establish the TBR MDD. In March 2011, in Gödöllő, Hungary, within Hungarian EU Presidency in an act of great environmental leadership and transboundary cooperation, the environment and nature conservation ministers of Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary and Serbia signed a joint declaration on the establishment of the biosphere reserve. Following the designation of the individual biosphere reserves, the long-awaited goal was finally achieved when the world’s first five-country biosphere reserve was designated by UNESCO on 15th September 2021.

TIMELINE

1993

The idea to establish a transboundary biosphere reserve is born.

2009

Croatia and Hungary sign a bilateral ministerial declaration on the establishment of a transboundary biosphere reserve in their territories along the Mura, Drava and Danube rivers.

2011

Austria, Slovenia and Serbia join the initiative and sign together with Croatia and Hungary a ministerial declaration on the establishment of a joint five-country biosphere reserve along the Mura, Drava and Danube rivers.

2012

UNESCO designates the Croatian-Hungarian Transboundary Biosphere Reserve Mura-Drava-Danube.

2017

UNESCO designates the Serbian Biosphere Reserve Bačko Podunavlje.

2018

UNESCO designates the Slovenian Biosphere Reserve Mura;

2019

UNESCO designates the Austrian Biosphere Reserve Lower Mura Valley.

2019

Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary and Serbia connect all single Biosphere Reserves and nominate the joint five-country biosphere reserve Mura-Drava-Danube.

September 2021

UNESCO designates the Five-country Biosphere Reserve Mura-Drava-Danube.

VIDEO! Youtube link bitte 🙂

It’s time to rediscover our connection with nature! As well as preserving living river ecosystems, we aim to promote sustainable development within the TBR MDD.

Imagine vibrant rivers with dreamy islands, natural gravel and sand banks, mysterious side channels and lush floodplains with ancient trees. Imagine thriving wildlife: black storks hunting along shallow riverbanks, thousands of sand martins catching mosquitoes to feed their young on natural riverbanks and sterlets spawning on gravel banks. People living sustainably within this healthy ecosystem, pasturing the meadows along the rivers and supporting a diverse local economy and embracing its rich cultural heritage. This is our vision: Living rivers for nature and people!

Downloads & Links

  • TBR MDD Factsheets (EN, DE, HR, RS)
  • Ministerial Declaration TBR MDD
  • Facts & Figures Graphic in all 6 languages
  • Link to the German Website of the Austrian Biosphere Reserve Lower Mura Valley.