News & Media

VIENNA, 20 March (Vienna International Centre) – The growing disparities in water access around the world and the escalating impacts of climate change on the Danube River Basin are some of the most pressing challenges of our time, says the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR) as it joins the global community in commemorating World Water Day 2026 on Sunday, 22 March. This year’s theme, "Where water flows, equality grows," highlights the indispensable role of equitable water management in fostering social justice, economic stability, and environmental resilience across the Danube region.

VIENNA, 14th December 2022 – After almost 3 years of online activities due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 2022 saw the return of many in person outreach activities including the Danube Art Master competition. The announcement of this year's international winners took place during the ICPDR’s 25th Ordinary Meeting in Vienna, where an award ceremony was held to crown the international Danube Art Master in each of the competing categories.

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.

On 18 October 2022, the Central and Eastern Europe WWF participated in a side event on “Achieving Functional Biodiversity in the Danube-Carpathian Region by Mainstreaming Ecological Connectivity – how to make it happen” during the 11th EUSDR Annual Forum 2022. The annual forum, which took place in a hybrid format, was jointly organized by the Ukrainian EUSDR Presidency, the former Slovak EUSDR Presidency, the European Commission, and the Danube Strategy Point, with the financial support of the Danube Transnational Programme.

The ICPDR has published an informative summary report on accident prevention and control for dissemination to the interested public. It highlights the ICPDR activities on basin-wide level for accident prevention and emergency management, focusing on the tools, pragmatic procedures and mechanisms that are available for the ICPDR member countries.

The European Commission proposes to cut the use of chemical pesticides in half by 2030, one of the flagship legislative proposals to follow the Biodiversity and Farm to Fork Strategies. The new rules on chemical pesticides will reduce the environmental footprint of the EU's food system, protect the health and well-being of citizens and agricultural workers, and help mitigate the pesticide use-related economic losses.