Danube Watch 1/2016 - ICPDR Presidency 2016: smart sustainability for the Danube
ICPDR Presidency 2016: smart sustainability for the Danube
In the year of its third Ministerial Meeting, the ICPDR is presided over by the Czech Republic, taking the lead to focus efforts on enhancing cooperation in the region.
A humanities’ perspective on the effects of global climate change and mitigation options is urgently needed, as legacies of the past play a crucial – but currently underestimated – role in the study of possible sustainable futures.
© Mair/ICPDR
With its iconic capital of Prague situated on the Vltava River, the Czech Republic is often overlooked as a ’Danubian’ country. Unfairly so, as the Morava River draws from a substantial share of the country and, the Czech Republic is a founding member of the ICPDR. In this interview, ICPDR President Peter J. Kalas shares how his approach to the presidency will shape this year.
Dabube Watch: In a nutshell – what are your priorities for the Czech Presidency?
Peter J. Kalas: The Czech Republic takes over in a very important time with sustainable development goals adopted and river basin management plans prepared. As I presented at the Ordinary Meeting in Vienna in December 2015, Czech priorities build on the great work of past presidencies that pushed the work forward while addressing actual challenges. Specifically, our priorities are to:
• Provide active support for the implementation of both the Danube River Basin Management Plan Update 2015 and the First Flood Risk Management Plan for the Danube River Basin District
• Tackle the issue of floods and droughts as a response to global climate change, with links to sustainable development objectives
• Support existing cooperation in the region, including mediation of know-how, experience and application of innovative technologies while enhancing further cooperation towards smart sustainability of the region.
The Czech Republic is not a riparian country, so the Danube is not the dominant river in the Czech cultural narrative. Do you think the ICPDR Presidency could change this? How could you make the Danube and its Czech tributaries more visible in the Czech Republic?
Peter J. Kalas: As one of the 15 signatories of the Danube Convention, the Czech Republic is connected with the Danube through Morava River Basin as well as a number of national experts involved in working groups within the ICPDR. The Czech Presidency creates an opportunity to expand already well established expert awareness on the protection of the Danube. For this purpose, interdepartmental cooperation was initiated under the leadership of the Ministry of Environment of the Czech Republic with the Ministry of Regional Development of the Czech Republic, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, Ministry of Agriculture of the Czech Republic and the Office of the Government of the Czech Republic. The possibilities for individual sectors to support the Czech Presidency are being discussed within this group. This is how information on the Danube and the ICPDR will expand further outside the water sector in the Czech Republic.
Additionally, the gradual realisation of both management plans will create opportunities for Czech consulting and industrial companies to take part in the projects and to be involved in the implementation of measures.
As ICPDR President, you chaired the third ICPDR Ministerial Meeting. What do you think should be done to keep the political interest in water management in the Danube Basin high?
Peter J. Kalas: The significance of the third Ministerial Conference is in the adoption of the Danube Declaration, which among others includes the adoption of the Danube River Basin Management Plan Update 2015 and the First Flood Risk Management Plan for the Danube River Basin District for the period 2016–2021 by current ministers and high level representatives of 14 member countries and the EU. This high-level political acceptance has created a strong mandate for the gradual implementation of planned measures.
The goal of the Czech Presidency is to maintain this high political interest. Therefore, on one hand I am preparing a personal visit to some countries of the ICPDR to discuss possible coordination of international and national funding programs. At the same time it will be important to maintain the active work of the Secretariat and the working and expert groups of the ICPDR, which is a prerequisite for the successful implementation of both mentioned international plans.
The ICPDR coordinates basin-wide work in a transboundary context. How do you think this relates to global actions, from climate change adaptation to the sustainable development goals?
Peter J. Kalas: Implementation of planned measures for the protection of waters in the Danube River Basin is one example of local and regional adaptation to the impacts of global climate change. The priority of the Czech Presidency in the area of floods and droughts is directly focused on cooperation to mitigate climate impacts in the Danube region. Also, a number of internationally agreed upon sustainable development goals are relevant for the Danube Basin in the regional context and cooperation within the framework of the ICPDR should further facilitate the fulfilment of these objectives.
Peter J. Kalas, former Czech Minister of the Environment and ICPDR President for 2016
Peter J. Kalas is an engineer by training. A Czech and Swiss dual citizen, he looks back at a 30 years in international service for both countries and international organisations. Most importantly, Mr. Kalas pursued a distinguished career with the World Bank. He was Czech Minister of the Environment and serves as senior adviser to the current minister. He is an Alternate in the Board of the Green Climate Fund (UNFCCC).
