News

Hot summers and recurring droughts are no longer a marginal phenomenon in southern and central Europe.

This week, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) hosts its 69th General Conference, with this year’s Scientific Forum themed Atoms for Water. The event, running from 16–17 September 2025, brings together global experts to explore how nuclear and isotopic techniques can address water scarcity, climate resilience, and sustainable management.

At the recent High-Level and Technical Conference in Brdo pri Kranju, Slovenia, ICPDR Executive Secretary Ms. Vogel underscored the important need for stronger coordination in drought management across the Danube region. The conference brought together regional and international organizations to address climate change adaptation challenges in South-Eastern Europe.

The European Environment Agency (EEA) has released its latest report, “Europe’s State of Water 2024: The Need for Improved Water Resilience,” shedding light on the growing challenges to Europe’s water security. The report, which draws on data from the 3rd River Basin Management Plans (RBMPs), highlights significant pressures on surface and groundwater bodies across Europe, emphasizing the need for immediate action to strengthen water resilience.

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.

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.

Following the ICPDR's Ordinary Meeting on 15th & 16th December 2020, the updates to the Danube River Basin Management Plan (DRBMP) and Danube Flood Risk Management Plan (DFRMP) scheduled for 2021 are continuing.

Vienna, 20 Dec 2019. The ICPDR provides an interim overview on Significant Water Management Issues (SWMIs) in the Danube River Basin District for the 3rd Danube River Basin Management Plan (3rd DRBMP) and invites the public to comment on this document until June 2020.

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.

The signing of the grant agreement between the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR) and DG REGIO will enable a feasibility study that aims to identify ways forward to preserve of fish stocks at the Romanian-Serbian border. This action is an important step in the ongoing efforts to achieve a central objective of the EU Strategy for the Danube River: saving the Danube sturgeons from extinction. Despite its longevity, this “dinosaur fish” is considered one of the most endangered species in the world.