New `Drava Declaration´ Signed

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Maribor, 24 September 2008. A “Declaration concerning common approaches to water management, flood protection, hydropower utilization and nature and biodiversity conservation in the Drava River Basin” was adopted by Participants at the “Drava River Vision Symposium” in Maribor, Slovenia.

aerial photo of a river landscape

On 24 September 2008, a “Declaration concerning common approaches to water management, flood protection, hydropower utilization and nature and biodiversity conservation in the Drava River Basin” was adopted by Participants at the “Drava River Vision Symposium” in Maribor, Slovenia. The Participants included the ICPDR Heads of Delegation for the Danubian States of Austria, Croatia, Hungary and Slovenia, and the Director of the Department for Hydraulic Engineering of Bolzano, South-Tyrol in Italy.

The event also included representatives from water management and nature conservation bodies, education institutions and non-government organizations (NGOs) from the Drava River riparian states of Austria, Croatia, Hungary and Slovenia and Italy.

To secure the values and ecological functions of the Drava River basin for generations to come, the participants agreed, through the Declaration, on ten objectives as priorities for the future. Examples of objectives are: to promote the Drava River as a model for integrated implementation of EU policies on water and nature protection; and to enhance flood protection through the improvement of flood warning systems and through increased information exchange.