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Vienna, 1 July 2025 (Motto am Fluss) - Held every six years, the Joint Danube Survey (JDS) builds on the legacy of its predecessors and brings together experts from across the Danube River Basin and beyond for its implementation. The Survey conducts the most comprehensive scientific analysis of Europe’s second-longest river. Today marks the official launch of the fifth edition of this unique initiative: JDS5.

Paris, 12 June 2025 – As UNESCO celebrates 60 years of global water science and the 50th anniversary of the International Hydrological Programme (IHP), the ICPDR proudly contributed to this international milestone by co-hosting a side event that placed the Joint Danube Survey 5 (JDS5) firmly in the spotlight.

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.

Presenting the latest in hazard and risk assessments, the ICPDR Technical Report on Accidental Pollution Hazards provides an in-depth analysis of accidental pollution. It highlights updated inventories for Accident Hazard Sites (AHS) and Tailings Management Facilities (TMF), employing advanced methodologies like the Water Hazard Index and Tailings Risk Index. Focusing on the most hazardous sites, the report also offers key recommendations for sustainable pollution prevention

The project involves 15 partners from 8 countries and aims to restore and conserve 34 islands from Germany to Romania. With the support of the EU Commission, the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River, and the Ramsar Convention, the LIFE WILDisland project is set to become a great example of transboundary cooperation.

Accidental pollution events are dangerous form of water contamination by hazardous substances. Industrial facilities, mining areas and contaminated sites that store, process or produce such substances in substantial amounts pose hazard (potential risk) to water. To avoid pollution accidents appropriate prevention measures have to be in place.

Rivers, lakes, transitional and coastal waters, as well as groundwater, are vital natural resources. A significant proportion of water resources are exposed to environmental pollution or other potentially damaging pressures. Protecting and improving the waters of the Danube River Basin is therefore essential for the natural environment, the sustainable development of the region and the long-term health, well-being, and prosperity of the population.

A recent large-scale modelling study has shown that restoring floodplains and reconnecting cut-off water bodies with the Danube River, and its tributaries could play a significant role in improving water quality and removing nitrate pollution in the Danube River Basin.