Search Results

The ICPDR applauds the recent signing of the"goMURra" Declaration by Austrian Water Minister Norbert Totschnig and Slovenian Minister for Natural Resources Jože Novak. The declaration, signed on 11 November 2025 at the UNESCO 5-Country Biosphere Reserve, marks a significant step forward in transboundary water management and ecological restoration in the Danube River Basin.

The 16th Meeting on the Follow-up of the Joint Statement on Guiding Principles for the Development of Inland Navigation and Environmental Protection in the Danube River Basin took place on 22 October 2025 in Budapest, hosted by the Danube Commission. The Joint Statement 2.0 process reflects the changes and challenges that have emerged since the initial Joint Statement was adopted in 2007, ensuring that the principles guiding inland navigation and environmental protection remain relevant and effective.

Bucharest, Romania – Nine countries along the Danube River have joined forces to protect some of Europe’s most endangered species: the sturgeons. On 9–10 July, thirteen project partners and strategic allies – including national ministries, universities, NGOs and research bodies – gathered in Bucharest to launch “MonStur in the Danube,” a new cross-border effort to monitor and protect these ancient migratory fish.

Sturgeons, the most endangered group of species worldwide, are facing a perilous situation in Europe. These migratory species, which once freely swam from the Black Sea up to Germany, now find their ecological corridors severed by multiple barriers. Human interventions - such as hydropower, sediment extraction, navigation, river channelisation, by-catch and illegal fishing - are exerting severe pressure on habitats and populations, calling for immediate, coordinated actions.

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.

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.

VIENNA, 23 January (Permanent Mission of Slovakia to the OSCE and other International Organizations in Vienna) -
Slovenia is taking over the Presidency of the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR) for 2025. Lidija Globevnik, Director General of the Slovenian Water and Marine Directorate under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Spatial Planning of Slovenia will serve as its new President. The annual transition in leadership reflects the ICPDR’s ongoing dedication to successful transboundary water management.