When the International Water Association (IWA) announced that the World Water Congress 2008 would be held in Vienna on September 7–12, the ICPDR decided to use this opportunity to highlight the challenges and achievements experienced over the past 15 years. This includes a keynote presentation by ICPDR Executive Secretary Philip Weller, as well as the official results of the Joint Danube Survey 2, a major scientific expedition carried out along the Danube in summer 2007 (see page 25).

The core of the ICPDR involvement will be a special Danube workshop on September 10. The ICPDR has invited representatives of main stakeholders and partners – such as the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, World Wide Fund for Nature, Technical University of Vienna and Coca-Cola Hellenic – to openly discuss the challenges, opportunities and achievements regarding integrated river basin management in the Danube River Basin. Special focus will be given to the political and organisational framework for an integrated approach in river basin management, the challenge of cooperative monitoring of an international river as well as the demands and limits of public involvement. In cooperation with The Coca-Cola Company and Coca-Cola Hellenic, the ICPDR will also present the successes of the Green Danube Partnership, which has become a role model of public–private partnership.

For more information, please visit: www.iwa2008vienna.org

Jasmine Bachmann works on public participation in the ICPDR Secretariat, and is the Executive Editor of Danube Watch.