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Since the 16th century, people have been changing the natural course of the rivers in the Danube River Basin, mainly for flood defence, hydropower generation and navigation. All these changes affect the ecological quality of the rivers. Changes in the depth or width of a river typically reduce flow rates, interrupting natural sediment transportation as well as the migration routes of animals.

A river does not end at its bank. The Danube and its tributaries form many diverse riverine habitats, including intricate networks of water bodies, creeks and channels, floodplain forests, water meadows, lakes, gravel islands, sandy banks and the unique delta habitats by the shores of the Black Sea.

The territory of Bulgaria is 110,912 km². The country is characterized by a rich diversity in morphological, geological, geomorphological, hydro-climatic and soil-biogenic aspects.

The Danube River Protection Convention forms the overall legal instrument for co-operation on transboundary water management in the Danube River Basin. The Convention was signed on June 29 1994 in Sofia (Bulgaria) and came into force in 1998. It aims to ensure that surface waters and groundwater within the Danube River Basin are managed and used sustainably and equitably.

The Black Sea Commission is an intergovernmental organisation responsible for the implementation of the Convention on the Protection of the Black Sea against Pollution, and sets the legal framework required for regional cooperation and the activities necessary to reduce pollution and enhance the protection of the marine environment.