Engaging Stakeholders for Danube Floodplain Water Quality Enhancement Through Ecosystem Services in Serbia's Wetland Reserve

Floodplain areas along rivers provide numerous benefits for people, known as ecosystem services (ES). Although the concept itself is not new, its incorporation into water management plans and processes is still in its early stages, especially when it comes to water quality. The project “Improving water quality in the Danube river and its tributaries by integrative floodplain management based on ecosystem services” (IDES) addressed how floodplain areas along the Danube and the ecosystem services they provide can contribute to improving water quality in the river. Recognizing the interests of different sectors and involving them in all stages of project implementation is crucial for achieving project goals. The paper presents a unique methodology adopted at the project level for stakeholder identification, analysis, and engagement. The results of applying the methodology to identify and analyze stakeholders for the Special Nature Reserve “Koviljsko-Petrovaradinski Rit” (KPR) in the floodplain area of the Danube near Novi Sad are presented.