Moldova takes over ICPDR Presidency for 2020 from Hungary
VIENNA, 31 January – Embassy of Hungary in Austria
As Moldova takes over the annual Presidency of the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR) today, incoming President Dorin Andros is setting the chief goals and highest priorities for his term: improving cooperation and collaboration between ICPDR members, putting focus on non-EU members, reducing water pollution in the Danube River Basin, crossing sectorial divides, and strengthening resilience to the effects of climate change are at the top of President Andros’ to-do list.
ICPDR President Dorin Andros intends – alongside implementing the current Program of Measures and the development of the 3rd Danube River Basin Management Plan – to elaborate on the national river basin management plans. Securing significant investments for these projects will be vital, thus “strengthening cooperation between the ICPDR and financial institutions can provide an opportunity for more investments”, said President Andros in his inaugural speech. Such measures would go far towards delivering basin-wide improvements in water management.
Continuing with the ICPDR’s recent efforts, to improve cooperation with the agricultural sector is also of the highest importance. Recent activities included the development of a “Guidance Document on Sustainable Agriculture” along with a workshop on “Water and Agriculture” held in Budapest in November 2019. The workshop brought together representatives from the water and agricultural sectors, and civil society to discuss sectorial needs and challenges ahead. Only through such measures can long-lasting, sustainable, and functioning transboundary solutions be met.
Other specific concerns of the incoming Moldovan Presidency include:
- The development of the scientifically-based concept for the water balance calculation in the Danube catchment area, based also on the previously elaborated developments (EU Guidance and Scoping Study), to respond to water scarcity generated by increasingly frequent droughts experienced by all Danube countries,
- the enhancement of cooperation between the ICPDR and the EU Strategy for the Danube Region, especially in the strategy’s Priority Areas PA 4 (Water Quality), PA 5 (Environmental Risks), PA 6 (Biodiversity and Landscape), etc. to the benefit of all people living in the Danube River Basin.
“2020 will be an important year in terms of the data and information collection by countries and their further analysis for the development of the next cycles of the Danube River Basin Management Plan and Flood Risk Management Plan,” said President Andros at his inaugural speech. “We do hope that our common initiatives and efforts will definitely result in cleaner water and as whole, in a better Danube environment, and let me assure you that Moldova will do all its best to contribute to achieving these results.”
Having marked a 25-year milestone in the life of the ICPDR in 2019 (a quarter-century since the signing of the Danube River Protection Convention) the Moldovan Presidency wants to begin the new decade focusing on crossing borders in sectorial as well as geographical terms.
Dorin Andros congratulated the ICPDR on its success to date, describing it as a “world-wide recognized successful example of river basin management transboundary cooperation.”
Furthermore, outgoing President Péter Kovács, from Hungary, was warmly acknowledged at the event for having achieved a tremendous amount during the extremely busy Presidency in 2019. Mr. Kovács wished his predecessor all the very best and extended his deep gratitude for his team’s hard work throughout his presidency.
Contact
Hélène Masliah-Gilkarov
Public Participation & Communication
ICPDR Secretariat at UNOV
Telephone: (+43-1) 26060-4373
Fax: (+43-1) 26060-5895
Mobile: (+43 676) 845 200 220
E-mail: helene.masliah-gilkarov[at] icpdr.org
Web: www.icpdr.org
