The Danube Riverside Development in the Iron Gates Gorge, Serbia, between Socio-economic needs and Protected Ecosystem

Abstract

The Iron Gates are the longest gorge of the Danube, a major waterway in Europe. For Serbia, the Danube is both important as a transport corridor and tourist route, which is also applied for the Iron Gates part. In the other side, the Iron Gates are the largest national park in Serbia, with protected river and mountain ecosystems, plus many cultural heritage sites, which significantly restricts riverside development. Third, it is also a region with its local population, settlements, and economy. This overlapping makes any future planning perspective for the Iron Gates Region very complex and with expected compromises. The current spatial plans for the Iron Gates recognise this complexity. This is particularly visible along the Danube riverside. The river is certainly the main access to the gorge and the main driver of desirable socioeconomic development for local communities thereof. However, the development along the river is impossible in many parts due to protected riverside areas or rough terrain. Remaining parts have the other problems with inadequate plot organisation. Therefore, the implementation of the plans carries many challenges at lower levels. The aim of this paper is to present this discrepancy and offer new ways for concrete solutions. It compares the main planning actions to facilitate local socio-economic development and the newest efforts of local authorities to implement them for riverside as a critical resource for the region. The final highlights are dedicated to the actions that are unorthodox and thereby innovative for riverside development in unique ecosystems.