The Management Plan for the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Wachau was presented at Göttweig Abbey on 29 March 2017.

The Wachau project is the first LIFE project implemented in the region whose goal was to conserve the region’s most endangered habitats. This resulted in three focal points: Lively Danube, dry grasslands and natural forest.

The currently running project “Wilderness Wetland Wachau” is intended to follow on from two previous LIFE projects in the region. Extensive measures for revitalising the remains of old river courses are planned during the project period. Existing areas of riparian forest on already existing and newly created islands should be improved and expanded. The creation of spawning waters is envisaged for highly endangered amphibians such as the yellow-bellied toad and the Danube northern crested newt, nests will be created for white-tailed eagles and valuable old trees will be protected.

The LIFE+ project Mostviertel-Wachau includes measures on the Danube and the Ybbs river. Revitalisation measures are being implemented on the Ybbs in Amstetten and on the Pielach, and disconnected side arms of the Danube are being reconnected to the river in the Wachau.

Almost all municipalities in the LEADER region have taken in people who have fled from war and persecution in recent months. At the same time, committed citizens everywhere are taking care of these people on a voluntary basis – both during the asylum procedure and after they become recognised refugees. This work is challenging and takes up a lot of time. Providing these committed citizens with intensive support can give them the knowledge they need to increase the efficiency of their work through networking or to assist them in times of crisis.

...is an online platform for practical scientific papers on regional development in Lower Austria. Students and topic providers meet at a “topic market place”. This is made possible by the six LEADER regions of Donau NÖ-Mitte, Kamptal, Niederösterreich Süd, Römerland Carnuntum, Wachau-Dunkelsteinerwald and Weinviertel-Manhartsberg, for which the active search for diploma students is a major concern. The platform at www.diplomarbeitsboerse.at put the topics and issues of the regions/municipalities in contact with students and vice versa as a way of bringing fresh ideas and science perspectives to the regions.

A lot of restructuring has taken place in the municipality of Krems and at its affiliated establishments, associations and contractors in recent years. These processes have given rise to the company Krems Tourismus GmbH, whose sole shareholder is the town of Krems.

Since March 2012, 52 “Best of Wachau” hoteliers and hosts have been working as strong and representative partners of the very highest standard and facilitate high-quality advertising of the Wachau as the region’s flagship establishments. Numerous joint activities and measures have been developed and implemented to date. Special attention has always been given to consistent further training of the establishments in the form of high-quality qualification activities.

The regional quality campaign "Best of Wachau" was officially launched in March 2012. In the following years, the initiative succeeded in attaining a high degree of acceptance amongst partner establishments as well as a high level of international recognition.

The goal of the volunteer project is to get young people involved in maintaining and conserving Natura 2000 protected areas in the Wachau UNESCO World Heritage Site. Since 2010, volunteers from Austria and around the world have come to the Wachau every summer to conserve valuable areas of dry grassland and orchid meadows.