Visit to Mississippi River Commission

In August of this year, the Secretariat led a seven-member delegation from the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR) and the International Sava River Basin Commission (ISRBC) to US, at the invitation of the US Army Corps of Engineers, through their London office of the Engineering Research and Development Center (ERDC).

The visited locations were: the Mississippi River Commission (MRC) offices, the ERDC Vicksburg offices and laboratories, the US Army Headquarter in DC, and the US Environmental Protection Agency in DC.

At the first stop, the delegation joined the low-water inspection tour by the Mississippi River Commission, which give the participants the opportunity to experience the public meeting format and to meet with the MRC members. The delegation next visited ERDC’s Vicksburg for meetings/briefing on issues of common concerns like flood management, navigation, wetland restoration, with the MRC, the Mississippi Valley Division, the Ecosystem Planning Center of Expertise and the ERDC site. The topics at the US EPA visit were mainly focused on issues regarding wastewater treatment and nutrient management.

In DC, the HQUSACE high officials expressed the suggestion to consider the Corps as an Observer to the ICPDR. The delegation received overwhelming responses during and after the trip. Many people expressed the willingness to continue information exchange and to develop collaborative relationship with the MRC.

From left to right: General Director Marius Postelnicescu (National Administration Apele Romane in Romania), Dr. Joachim Heidemeier (Chairperson of the Pressures and Measures Expert Group of the ICPDR), Dr. Mihaela Popovici (Technical Expert on Pollution Control in the ICPDR Secretariat), The Honorable John Paul Woodley Jr. (Assistant Secretary of the Army Civil Works), Dr. Nikola Marjanovic (Director in Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management in Serbia), Dr. Dejan Komatina (Executive Secretary of the International Sava River Basin Commission), Director Gheorghe Constantin (Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development in Romania).