Relationship with regional NGOs and governments for SDG policy (17.2.1)

SZIGETKÖZ area as a priority development region

In 2025, Széchenyi István University contributed directly to the preparation of the expert study supporting the initiative to designate Szigetköz as a priority development region. The study was prepared by HÉTFA Institute and Széchenyi István University for the regional development process led by the Győr-Moson-Sopron County Government. University experts participated in developing the structure of the supporting document and coordinating its data and sources.

The process connected university expertise directly with public-policy development. The supporting document addressed the proposed territorial scope of the priority region and the social, environmental and economic factors requiring coordinated regional development policy. The document proceeded to consultation with the Győr-Moson-Sopron County Government and the Ministry of Public Administration and Regional Development and to wider stakeholder consultation involving municipalities and civil-society organisations.

Climate-Adapted Cities Project.

Széchenyi István University participates in the Climate-Adapted (Heat-Resilient) Cities project, a 30‑month cross-border collaboration between Győr (Hungary) and Graz (Austria) aimed at reducing the health risks associated with climate change and heat waves while strengthening urban resilience. The consortium is led by the Municipality of Graz, demonstrating direct cooperation between higher education and local government in the development of evidence-based climate adaptation measures. The project brings together a diverse partnership consisting of Széchenyi István University (Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences), the Municipality of Graz, the United Health and Social Institution of Győr, the St. Andrew Rheumatology Hospital and Medicinal Spa of Hévíz, and the Family and Child Welfare Centre of Győr. The collaboration therefore includes government bodies, healthcare institutions, social service organisations, and civil society/community welfare organisations, ensuring a multi-stakeholder approach to SDG-related policy development and implementation. Within the project, partners conduct situation analyses, develop city-specific interventions, apply a common indicator-based evaluation framework, establish expert networks, deliver training programmes, and organise an international conference in Győr.

DALIA Project

Széchenyi István University participates in the international Horizon Europe project DALIA – Danube Region Water Lighthouse Action, which promotes cross-sectoral cooperation for sustainable water management across the Danube region. The consortium brings together public authorities, universities, research institutes, SMEs and non-governmental organisations from several European countries to jointly address freshwater management, flood resilience and ecosystem restoration challenges.

The project is coordinated by the General Directorate of Water Management (OVF), a Hungarian governmental authority, and involves NGO partners such as PET Kupa Association and CCSS, alongside academic and business stakeholders. Through joint pilot activities, monitoring programmes, data sharing and knowledge exchange, the project creates an active platform for dialogue between government, civil society, industry and research organisations.

By contributing scientific expertise, hydrological monitoring and evidence-based analysis, Széchenyi István University contributes to the Szigetköz demonstration site, which serves as a living laboratory for sustainable water management and ecosystem restoration in the Danube region. Through monitoring, environmental data collection and stakeholder cooperation, the project supports evidence-based decision-making and facilitates knowledge exchange among academic experts, governmental organisations and non-governmental partners. The demonstration site contributes to the development of transferable practices that support sustainable water management and climate resilience across the Danube Basin. As a recommendation, the Szigetköz water replenishment system, has successfully restored natural water levels and dynamically controlled discharges in floodplain river branch system, improving a 40 km stretch of the Danube.

The official project webpage can be found HERE:

TRANSFER Danube Project

Széchenyi István University participates in the international TRANSFER Danube project, which addresses the impacts of droughts, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related risks affecting the Danube region. The project directly supports SDG policy development and sustainability planning through the analysis of climate-related challenges and the development of tools that assist public authorities and stakeholders in adaptation planning. The project develops a transnational platform integrating climate, water-resource, and agricultural databases, maps, modelling tools, and good practices for water management and drought mitigation.

The consortium includes governmental organisations, universities, and nonprofit organisations working together to generate data and decision-support tools for sustainable regional development. Partners are: National Meteorological Administration (Romania), University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (Austria), Central Danube Development Agency Nonprofit Ltd. (Hungary), Association “Centre for Sustainability and Economic Growth” (Bulgaria), Czech University of Life Sciences Prague (Czechia), Institute of Hydrometeorology and Seismology (Crna Gora, Montenegro), University of Stuttgart (Germany), Rába-Duna-Vág European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation with Limited Liability (Hungary), The Republic Hydrometeorological Service of Republika Srpska (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Sensum (Croatia) and Széchenyi István University (Hungary).

The official project webpage can be found HERE.

MONSTUR in the Danube

Széchenyi University has been awarded a grant in the Interreg Danube competition – MONSTUR in the Danube project, partly funded by the European Union. The three-year project aims to establish and test a cross-border system for monitoring sturgeon and protecting migratory fish in the Danube. The international research project, led by the Romanian Ministry of Environment, Water and Forestry, also involves the participation of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), the Central and Eastern European Environment Organisation, and the State University of Moldova.

Such monitoring systems provide the evidence needed by government authorities and environmental organisations to support biodiversity protection and freshwater ecosystem management. The project started in 01 April 2025 and last till 31 March 2028. The official project page can be found HERE.

SWIM – Sustainable Water Management and Integrated Management of Fish Migration and Habitats in the Danube River Basin and the North-Western Black Sea

Széchenyi István University participates in the Horizon Europe project SWIM – Sustainable Water Management and Integrated Management of Fish Migration and Habitats in the Danube River Basin and the North-Western Black Sea. The SWIM project supports the implementation of major European sustainability policy frameworks, including the European Green Deal, the EU Biodiversity Strategy, the Water Framework Directive, and the Habitats Directive. The project focuses on sustainable water management, fish migration, habitat protection, and biodiversity conservation.

Through research activities and international cooperation, the University contributes scientific evidence that supports the implementation and evaluation of sustainability policies and environmental strategies. The project fosters transnational cooperation among stakeholders, including SMEs, universities, research institutes, and public authorities to achieve a nature-positive impact. The projects connects 42 partners.

The Official project webpage can be found HERE.