IASON+

Description:

Invasive Alien Species Observatory and Network Development for the Assessment of Climate Change Impacts and Contextual Ecosystem Services Evaluation in Black Sea Deltaic Protected Areas (BSB00174 - IASON+) project has been awarded funding under InterregNEXT. The project is designed as a continuation of the previous CBC-BSB IASON project (BSB-1121). The project will last 30 months (start date 28/06/2025; end date: 27/12/2026) and will be led by Danube Delta National Institute for Research and Development (Romania) with partners Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve Authority (Romania), Demeritus Univerity of Thrace – Special Account for Research Funds (Greece), Karadeniz Technical University - Faculty of Marine Sciences (Turkey), Institute of Marine Biology of the NAS of Ukraine (Ukraine) and N(N)LE International Business and Economic Development Center (Georgia). The total project budget is 1.396.112,46 Euro. The partner countries fund 10% of the total budget. The total budget of KTU in the IASON+ project is 244.319,52 Euro, 90% of the budget is funded by Interreg and 10% is funded by KTU (Interreg budget: 219.887,57 Euro; KTU budget: 24.243,96 Euro).

The IASON+ Project focuses on the impact of Invasive Alien Species (IAS) on Ecosystem Services (ES) in the Black Sea Basin (BSB) region and aims to address the common challenges and impact on ES, particularly in the Danube Delta, Nestos Delta, Kızılırmak Delta, Çoruh and Kolkheti Deltas. These delta regions are particularly vulnerable to the emergence and spread of IAS due to their unique ecological characteristics, including diverse habitats and high biodiversity. IAS can disrupt the delicate balance of these ecosystems, threaten native species, and adversely affect the provision of ES such as water purification, flood regulation, coastal protection, fisheries, and tourism. The overall objective of the project is to improve the management and mitigation of IAS in delta regions to protect and restore ES. The project aims to create positive change by reducing the spread and impact of IAS, increasing the resilience of ecosystems, and ensuring sustainable ES provision in deltaic regions.

The project outputs:

1. Establishment of IAS Monitoring and Warning System,
2. Establishment of Integrated Management Strategies and Action Plans,
3. Preparation of Capacity Building and Training programmes.

Beneficiaries of the outputs and results of the project:

• Local communities living in delta regions whose livelihoods depend on the provision of sustainable energy sources.
• Biodiversity conservation organisations and institutions are responsible for managing and conserving the unique ecosystems of the Delta regions.
• Policy makers and government officials are involved in environmental management and decision-making processes.
• Scientists and researchers are interested in studying the impacts of IAS and developing effective management strategies.
• Industries and sectors that rely on ecosystem services, such as tourism, agriculture, fisheries, and water resources management.

The project adopts a transnational approach due to the nature of delta regions in different countries in the BSB, which is crucial to effectively address the challenges faced by IAS in these regions. The planned approach involves co-operation, exchange of information, and joint efforts between partners from different countries and delta regions. This cooperation facilitates a more comprehensive and coordinated response to the IAS challenge in the BSB deltaic regions by sharing experiences, expertise, best practices, and resources. 

Information about the IASON+ Project can be accessed through this link.