Regional Experiance for Danube Strategy

Dr. Mitja Bricelj

GWP

Budapest, April 5, 2011

Focus on

- National

- Transboundary

- Regional (Danube RB)

- Transregional (Danube/Black Sea/Med)

COOPERATION for sustainable use

of shared water bodies /water resources (IWRM)

From the Black Forest to the Black Sea

Danube RiverProtection Convention

Signed

on 29 June 1994

in Sofia - Bulgaria

DRPC is a legal frame for cooperation to assure

the protection of water and ecological

resources and their sustainable use in the

Danube River Basin.

ICPDR -International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River

The ICPDR, established by the DRPC:

has the mandate to ensure conservation, improvement and

rational use of surface waters and ground water

reduce inputs of nutrients and hazardous substances

control floods and ice hazards

reduce pollution loads to the Black Sea

Since 2000 the ICPDR is the coordinating body for

implementing the EU Water Framework Directive in DRB

Germany

Austria

Czech Republic

Slovakia

Hungary

Slovenia

Croatia

Bosnia & Herzegovina

Serbia

Montenegro

Romania

Bulgaria

Rep. of Moldova

Ukraine

European Union

Contracting Parties

Danube River Basin Management Plan

Finalised in December 2009

Reflects

Water status of the DRB waters

Significant Water Management Issues

Includes

Joint Programme of Measures

Evaluation on measures

implementation

Enables

Conclusions on investment and funding

Trans National Monitoring Network - TNMN

Significant Water

Management Issues

Organic

PollutionNutrient

Pollution

Hazardous

Substances PollutionHydromorphological

Alterations

It is the heart of the DRBM Plan that outlines:

Visions and management objectives for each

Significant Water Management Issues

Measures on the basin-wide scale

Needs for future funding

DRBM Plan

Joint Programme of Measures

JPM addresses the problems in the Danube River Basin

Investments

11

14

6

8

7

3

12

13

2

7

40

12

7

6

5

1

15

17

3

7

402

4

5

5

8

0013

6

3

22

6

3

7

04

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

AT BA BG HR CZ DE HU MD RO RS SK SI UA

Number of investment projects achieved by 2006 per country

Municipal Industrial and agro-industrial Wetlands

3.5 billion Euro

invested in

140 wastewater

treatment

plants.

Key Results

Organic

Pollution

Nutrient

Pollution

Considerable reduction through measures

– objectives will not be achieved by 2015

Significant efforts still need to be

undertaken to reduce water pollution of

the Danube rivers

Basin-wide importance:

P-free laundry and dishwasher detergents

Cooperation Asked

Good water quality and effective

water management cannot be

achieved without cooperation with

business and economic sectors.

Dialogue with Hydropower:How to Cooperate

⇒ Hydropower generation,

identified as one of the key

drivers that may provoke impacts

on water bodies.

⇒ Facilitating dialogue on hydro-

power issues to balance

economic needs, social and

environmental performance.

Agriculture and Land Use -Agri-environmental Measuresin the DRB

⇒ Nutrients reduction, e.g. limits in fertiliser

use (time and type), nutrient balances on

farm level

⇒ Pesticide reduction in all farming

practices

⇒ Organic farming: input reduction,

rotation, intensification of livestock

⇒ Soil erosion measures

⇒ Wetlands reconnection

Joint Statementadoped by

Danube Commision,

ISRBC and ICPDR

PLATINA Manual

for sustainable navigation

ICPDR newest response:Action plans for sub-basins

17 flood action plans for the sub-basins prepared in 2009

Comprehensive compilation of hundreds of measures to reduce flood risks

Consequences

Significant local hazard.

• Monitoring from the Danube did not reveal acute toxic records.

• The main pollution did not reach the Danube, but continued monitoring and assessment is needed (done by Hungary and the neighboring and downstream countries).

• Mitigation measures, clean-up work and assessment at Torna creek and Marcal river and in local areas are ongoing.

Important: RBM is proces

Integration

Participation

Implementation

----------------------------

Shared vison : - management

- research

- monitoring

Ministerial Meeting February 16, 2010

Ministrial Declaration

- ICPDR is major coordinating body in the region with

regard to all water managemnt issues

- DRBMP and JPMs should be an integral part of the

EU Strategy (Environmental Pillar).

Important for RBM implementation

Data is not information,

information is not knowledge

knowledge is not understanding,

understanding is not wisdom.

Integrating and Applayin Science, 2010 University of Maryland Center for

Enviromental Science

Partnering with Business

For further information see www.icpdr.org

Thank you for your attention!