Funding for Aquatic Ecology

Since April 2022, the State of Tyrol has been continuously providing grants for ecological measures on flowing waters to improve the ecological condition of water bodies and implement national requirements. As part of the funding areas environment/nature conservation as well as energy efficiency & climate protection, the program is aimed at public institutions, cooperatives, private individuals, and companies. In addition to municipal actors such as communities and water associations, physical and legal persons, such as operators of hydropower plants, also benefit. Applications can be submitted throughout the year. A prerequisite for approval is the submission of the application before the start of construction; the overall execution of the construction work should commence within one year after the funding approval. Furthermore, compliance with the funding guidelines of the federal government and the State of Tyrol must be ensured.

The focus of the funding is on projects aimed at reducing hydromorphological impacts in accordance with the requirements of the National Water Management Plan and the Water Rights Act. Projects to improve connectivity, reduce diversion, backwater, and surge effects, as well as the near-natural redesign of morphologically altered sections of flowing waters, are supported. For the complete application, in addition to the application forms, a technical report describing the ecological effects, relevant plans, a detailed list of individual measures and system components, a transparent cost and financing breakdown, and all official approval documents must be submitted. The close cooperation between the federal government and the State of Tyrol ensures efficient processing and makes a sustainable contribution to the protection and enhancement of aquatic landscapes.