News

The ICPDR is excited to announce the launch of our digital newsletter, "Danube Watch", marking a new era in our ongoing commitment to the Danube River Basin. This newsletter, scheduled to reach your inbox up to four times a year, is your portal to the latest stories and updates from the vibrant world of the Danube.

The project involves 15 partners from 8 countries and aims to restore and conserve 34 islands from Germany to Romania. With the support of the EU Commission, the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River, and the Ramsar Convention, the LIFE WILDisland project is set to become a great example of transboundary cooperation.

On October 10th and 11th, the much-anticipated biannual Danube Forecasting Forum (DAFF) took place in Budapest, Hungary. Organized in collaboration with the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR) and the EU Joint Research Center (EU JRC), this event brought together stakeholders from the 13 countries along the Danube and members of the Danube Youth Council (DYC) under EUSDR PA5.

The official website of the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River, www.icpdr.org, has undergone a complete makeover. Over the years, our website has grown in content, making navigation increasingly challenging. Our new design not only enhances accessibility through intuitive navigation but also adheres to cutting-edge usability standards.

In the wake of what has been declared the nation's 'worst-ever natural disaster,’ more than 70% of Slovenia's territory, predominantly situated in the Danube River Basin, has been severely affected by extreme flooding. The scale of this catastrophe has led to billions of Euros in damages and a tragic loss of lives.

A recent large-scale modelling study has shown that restoring floodplains and reconnecting cut-off water bodies with the Danube River, and its tributaries could play a significant role in improving water quality and removing nitrate pollution in the Danube River Basin.

The Danube Declaration 2022, the result of the 4th ICPDR Ministerial Meeting, presents a comprehensive overview of crucial initiatives and goals for the region. Adopted by Danube Ministers, the Danube Declaration adds political steering to the two Management Plans. To make the Declaration more accessible to the general public, the ICPDR's Public Participation Expert Group has condensed its content into a concise summary. The outcome is a 3-page brochure that summarizes the main messages and implications of the Declaration in an easy-to-understand format.

The 2021 Annual Report provides detailed insight into an eventful year for the ICPDR– from the updates of the two Management plans and the return of in-person Danube Day events to the completion of the fourth Joint Danube Survey (JDS4). The 2021 Annual Report depicts this broad spectrum of ICPDR activities. It illustrates the ICPDRʼs ever-broadening commitment as needed by the multi-faceted nature of the Danube River itself.

Following the publication of the ICPDR's Danube River Basin Management Plan (DRBMP) & Danube Flood Risk Management Plan (DFRMP) Update 2021, and their endorsement at the 4th Danube Ministerial Meeting, these important publications have been given a new and fresh look and summarised into two brochures.

On Thursday 12 December 2019, We Pass – an EU-funded project with the ICPDR aiming to facilitate fish migration and habitat conservation in the Danube River Basin – held its first stakeholder workshop on the banks of the Danube River in Vienna, Austria.