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The best way to protect and manage water is by close international co-operation between all the countries within the river basin – bringing together all interests upstream and downstream. All countries of the European Union are using a river basin approach for water management since the adoption of the EU Water Framework Directive.

Many people consider droughts to be rare, but in fact they are a normal and recurrent feature of the climate. Drought events are regional phenomena, affecting transnational water management. Unfortunately, droughts have a high damage potential: economic losses, ecological damages, and implications on human health.

Historically, the Danube and some of its tributaries have formed important trade routes across Europe. The harnessing of these rivers to facilitate navigation has radically changed their physical and ecological characteristics, while pollution from ships and boats is also a significant problem. In order to address this problem, the ICPDR is undertaking various activities.

The Danube is a major economic, geographical and cultural force in Austria. Draining over 96% of the country’s territory, the basin is home to 7.7 million people. In a country dominated by the Alps, the flat lands provided by the rivers are vital for the agricultural sector, human settlements and infrastructure. The Austrian territory accounts for 10% of the total area of the Danube Basin.

The Danube River Basin is Europe's second largest river basin, with a total area of 801,463 km². It is the world's most international river basin, flowing through the territory of 19 countries. The ecosystems of the Danube River Basin are highly valuable in environmental, economic, historical and social terms, but they are subject to increasing pressure and serious threats of pollution from agriculture, industry and cities.

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.

Agriculture has long been a major source of income for many people living in the Danube River Basin. Today however, it is also a major source of pollutants – including fertilizers and pesticides and facing emerging issues like water scarcity and droughts.

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.