02
Oct 2008 - The findings of the second Joint
Danube Survey, which were announced by the
International Commission for the Protection
of the Danube River on September 11, confirm
that the cooperation among Danube countries
to reduce pollution is bringing positive
results. Progress has been made in many
areas since the Joint Danube Survey 1 of
2001.
Water quality is generally
improving, but more work is needed. People
can swim in parts of the Danube River Basin,
but not everywhere. People can eat fish
without health risk, but further investigation
of mercury concentrations is needed in some
areas.
The Danube still contains
significant natural populations of plants
and animals. The first ever systematic survey
of the river’s “hydromorphology” (the physical
characteristics of its shape, boundaries
and content) identified large areas that
remain in good natural condition. Positive
efforts that have been made to restore damaged
natural areas, such as floodplains near
Vienna and in the Danube Delta, need to
continue if a good ecological condition
of the river is to be achieved everywhere.
At the same time, the
survey confirms that a further reduction
of nutrients and organic pollution is needed.
The Danube continues to show signs of degradation
downstream of major cities and in a number
of important tributaries because of poor
municipal waste treatment. Efforts to establish
waste water treatment plants in the basin,
particularly in cities such as Budapest,
Belgrade and Bucharest, need to be accelerated.
Some countries need to intensify the pollution
control efforts by industry on major tributaries.
Overall, the reduction of pollution from
agriculture (both nutrients and pesticides)
must continue. Some toxic hot-spots also
require more active attention.
Areas for further research
and investigation were also identified.
This includes levels of mercury in some
samples, particularly in fish, as well as
the sources of pollutants in some tributaries.
The large number of non-native fish and
other organisms in the Danube also require
further assessment.
“More intensive discussions
with stakeholders - such as the navigation
and agriculture sectors, hydropower and
the detergent industry - about measures
to reduce particular pressures are needed,”
said ICPDR Executive Secretary Philip Weller.
“The cooperative climate that exists among
many stakeholders for addressing the problems
needs to be maintained.”
"The results
of the latest Danube Survey underlines the
progress that has been made in cleaning
up the Danube as well as the qualities of
the river that still exist," said Michael
Baltzer, head of the WWF Danube-Carpathian
Programme. "In addition to addressing
remaining problems, we need to ensure that
current EU and national plans to develop
the Danube for shipping don't undermine
the very substantial progress that has been
already achieved."
