With an increase in extreme natural events, partners from around the Danube Basin are working to reduce the risks associated with floods.

Ongoing climate change brings greater risk of floods. Although floods are natural processes, the recent increase of industrial and urban settlements in floodplains puts lives at risk and leads to immense costs in the event of flooding.

The catastrophic flood events in the Danube Basin in 2006 in particular reveal the vulnerability of our society to extreme natural events. With the increase of population and industrialisation, important economic assets accumulate behind dykes and flood protection structures and significantly increase the potential damage of extreme flood events.

Recognising the responsibility of all Danube countries to counter these flood risks, 19 partners from Danube countries proposed a three-year ‘Interregional EC Project for Danube Flood Risk Delineation’, which will contribute knowledge of flood processes and provide the tools to improve risk management in practice. The Danube Floodrisk Project focuses on the most cost-effective measures for flood risk reduction: risk assessment, risk mapping, involvement of stakeholders and adequate spatial planning.

The Danube as a model for Europe. This Danube Floodrisk Project has a far reaching focus beyond risk management, and it is expected to become a flagship project for the South East Europe Transnational Cooperation Programme. It will improve conditions for the environment and economy in the Danube floodplains, and provide safer and more sustainable living solutions. The project, led by the Romanian Ministry of Environment and Forests, integrates various stakeholders and disciplines in the most international river basin in Europe.

The Danube River is one of the most important natural axes in South East Europe, and links most of the countries in the area. Thus the improvement of the area through good examples of transnational cooperation between all countries along the river will be a brilliant model for the whole region.

Cooperation on all levels. Risk reduction in large international river basins can only be achieved through transnational, interdisciplinary and stakeholder-oriented approaches within the framework of a joint transnational project. Practice has shown that starting this kind of cooperation is extremely difficult, for practical, political and financial reasons.

The project brings together scientists, public servants, NGOs and stakeholders to develop a scalable system of flood risk maps for the Danube River floodplains. Transnational methodology and models will be defined and implemented for flood risk assessment and mapping. This will result in proposals for flood mitigation measures, adjustments of spatial development plans, assessment tools for economic development in flood plains and greater awareness of flood risk for stakeholders, politicians, planners and the public.

Mary-Jeanne Adler is the head of the Emergency Situation Management Directorate in Romania.