News & Media

The 5th Joint Danube Survey (JDS5) has reached a significant milestone by incorporating citizen science into its outreach activities for the first time. Under the Motto "Let's Go Sampling Together", this activity Coordinated by the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission and supported by the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR), engaged schools across the Danube Basin in a collaborative effort to monitor and protect the river's ecological health.

We’re pleased to feature an insightful article on the newly released book, “The Danube River and The Western Black Sea Coast: Complex Transboundary Management,” which delves into the complex dynamics of the Danube River Basin and the Black Sea. The book, co-authored by leading experts in the field offers crucial perspectives on sustainable water management, environmental challenges, and the socio-ecological linkages between these vital regions.

The 23rd Standing Working Group (StWG) meeting of the ICPDR took place 17-18 June 2025 in Postojna, Slovenia, gathering representatives from across the Danube River Basin to review progress and align on next steps.

On 7 July 2025, the Vienna International Centre’s Rotunda came to life with creativity, collaboration, and a shared appreciation for one of Europe’s most iconic rivers. Under the title “Surface & Substance: Exploring the Danube Through Science and Art,” the ICPDR launched a special week-long exhibition celebrating the power of both scientific investigation and artistic expression in protecting the Danube.

Ukraine, one of the 15 ICPDR contracting parties, has officially adopted all its nine River Basin Management Plans (RBMPs), marking a significant step towards sustainable water management in line with European Union (EU) and international standards.

The Joint Danube Survey 5 (JDS5), the world’s most comprehensive investigative surface-water monitoring effort, will officially kick off on 1 July 2025 in Vienna. This large-scale scientific survey will bring together experts from 14 countries to assess the health of the Danube River and its major tributaries.

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.

Samsun, 30 October 2009. International Black Sea Action Day will be celebrated on October 30-31 in Samsun, Turkey, with activities jointly organized by the Turkish Ministry of Environment and Forest and the Commission on the Protection of the Black Sea Against Pollution (Black Sea Commission). Within this context, a two-day workshop is being organized where the threats facing the sea, efforts to cope with these threats in various fields and the current situation of the Black Sea will be discussed.

Vienna, 29 September 2009. 15 year-old Vasyl Vataman from Ukraine has won the International Danube Art Master 2009 Competition. The winning submission was created shows a miniaturist recreation of the Danube ecosystem, presents the strip of the Danube that is familiar to the artist: his village cut in half by the river with its particular features like a wooden bridge, fountain, a small house and roads.

The European Commission launched the PLATINA project to implement efficiently actions and measures promoting inland waterway transport. The project brought together 22 partners from 9 European countries and aimed to serve as a platform for helping to implement the European inland navigation programme NAIADES.