Europe - UNEP

Danube River flowing through Novi Sad, Serbia. Photo credit: Milan Vatovec.
On October 22 nd of 1998, the 1994
Danube Convention entered into force and the
International Commission for the Protection of the
Danube River (ICPDR) was established. The
ICPDR is the main decision-making body
established under the convention. This
commission is responsible for the implementation
of the convention, decision-making, management,
and coordination of regional cooperation,
approval of the budget and annual work
programme, and the joint action programme.
The ICPDR is supported by a secretariat, which is
also the focal point for information provision
about the convention. In addition, a number of
expert groups are set up under the convention
that reflect its main thematic work areas that
include river basin management, ecology,
emissions, monitoring laboratory and information
management, accident prevention and control as
well as flood protection (Danube, 2005).
Since its inception, the ICPDR has proven to
be a useful mechanism in fulfilling the objectives
of the convention; it has accomplished the
following:
• a cooperative strategy for the
establishment of the Danube River Basin
Management Plan
• cooperated with stakeholder groups
to build a common understanding of
the Danube
• identified and facilitated funding for
45 projects addressing waste water
treatment plants
• set up a network of more than 75
water quality monitoring stations
• developed an emission inventory for
pollution originating from
municipalities, industry and agriculture
• put into operation a basin-wide
accident emergency warning system
Young women on medieval fortress wall overlooking the Danube River,
Belgrade, Serbia. Photo credit: Milan Vatovec.
Chapter 5. Hydropolitical Vulnerability and Resilience Case Studies — 73