Joint Danube Delta Survey (JDDS) ready to start

The Joint Danube Delta Survey (JDDS) is the first practical step towards a harmonisation of the monitoring systems of the three countries – Ukraine, Romania and Moldava, – to collect and exchange information about the state of the environment the Danube Delta Sub-basin. The key objective of the JDDS as a monitoring exercise is to carry out an international ship survey that would produce comparable and reliable information on water quality for the whole area of the Danube Delta based on the approach of the Joint Danube Survey of the ICPDR (i.e. JDS 2, 2007).

The JDDS will be focused on inland waters covering the area from the mouth of the Prut River to the Black Sea including the main branches, canals, channels and inner lakes of the Danube Delta.

The two research vessels “Cyclone” (Ukrainian) and “Roua” (Romanian) carrying researchers from Ukraine, Romania and Moldova will start on 26 September to make water sampling and analysis to ensure that homogeneous data are collected and a unified approach to and methods of monitoring are achieved. The jointly agreed Monitoring Program will provide a common basis for conducting the expedition which has to be completed on 7 October 2011.

Outcomes of the JDDS will be used to develop a Danube Delta Analysis Report as an important and necessary step towards the elaboration of a River Basin Management Plan for the Danube Delta Sub-basin in compliance with the requirements of the EU Water Framework Directive.

The Project "Joint environmental monitoring, assessment and exchange of information for integrated management of the Danube delta region" is implemented by the ICPDR in the framework of the “Environment and Security” initiative (ENVSEC) in cooperation with UNEP, UNECE and regional partners, including representatives of the three countries sharing the Danube Delta Sub-basin (Romania, Ukraine and Moldova). The management of this project at regional level is conducted by the Ukrainian independent institution the Centre for Regional Studies (CRS) located in Odessa.

The Project aims to improve the cross-border cooperation in the Danube Delta and to build capacities for introducing a river basin approach for the management of natural resources in the Danube Delta Region. The project will establish a basis for the development and enhancement of a coordinated water management policy in the region based on the principles of the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) and the provisions of the Joint Declaration of the Heads of Delegations from the Republic of Moldova, Romania and Ukraine “Towards a River Basin Management Plan for the Danube Delta supporting sustainable development of the region” (Vienna, December 2007).

Field studies to collect original data to fill remaining knowledge gaps is the important component of the project. In addition, the JDDS is seen as a exercise to engage the countries in joint data collection, harmonisation of their procession methods and the creation of a joint data base for future needs.

For further information on the Joint Danube Delta Survey and the project, please click here.