News

On October 3, 2024, Budapest hosted an important conference, “From Source to Tap,” focused on microplastics in drinking water, one of the most pressing environmental concerns faced today. This event brought together leading experts, policymakers, and stakeholders to discuss the rising concern of microplastics and the challenges of ensuring safe and clean drinking water for the Danube region. With more than 110 registrations, the conference indicated a significant public and professional interest on the matter.

Discover how an extraordinary boat race using discarded plastic has become a symbol of hope and action in the fight against pollution. Supported by the ICPDR, this remarkable initiative has removed hundreds of tons of waste from tributaries of the Danube River and inspired thousands to join the mission for cleaner waters. From its humble beginnings to becoming an EU flagship project, learn how one man's vision has transformed river cleanups into a powerful community movement.

Building on the successes of the Danube Hazard m3c project, the Tethys project was launched in January 2024. Funded by the Danube Regional Programme, Tethys will bring together 13 project partners and 10 associated strategic partners to address hazardous substances pollution in the Danube River Basin.

The ICPDR looks back proudly at Austria’s Long Night of Research! Held at the Vienna International Centre on 24th May, this event invited curious minds to engage with the brilliant scientists and researchers shaping our future. Along with other Vienna-based UN organizations, the ICPDR participated in this year's Austria-wide event, which included more than 200 institutions opening their doors to the public.

Building on the successes of the Danube Hazard m3c project, the launch of the Tethys project is set to take place on April 11-12, 2024, in Vienna. Funded by the Danube Regional Programme, Tethys will bring together 13 project partners and 10 associated strategic partners to address hazardous substances pollution in the Danube River Basin.

Addressing transboundary riverine litter pollution demands a multifaceted strategy, incorporating harmonized actions, standardized measurements, advanced waste management techniques, and heightened awareness on an international scale.
Our new publication fills a critical gap, emphasizing the need for regulatory frameworks to establish effective waste management systems and deter illegal waste disposal.

Despite the EU's advanced waste management and ambitious recycling objectives, studies still indicate the presence of macro and microplastic pollution in EU rivers. The Tid(y)Up project focuses on improving water quality and reducing plastic pollution in the Tisza River, which is long considered one of Europe’s most heavily contaminated rivers.

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.

Vienna, 26 March 2013. The ICPDR has published a manual with practical advice for measures that aim to ensure fish migration at transverse structures such as dams and weirs.