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The Czech Republic is situated at the roof of Europe and its waters are drained through rivers into three different seas. The majority of the territory is drained by the Elbe and Oder to the North and Baltic Seas. The Morava River drains almost 28 % of the country to the Danube. Nearly 2.8 million inhabitants – around 3.46 % of the population in the Danube River Basin – live in this area.

Accidental pollution in the Danube River Basin can cause widespread damage to the environment, and endanger the health of local people and the state of local economies downstream. This was exemplified by the effects of the Baia Mare cyanide spill in Romania in 2000 or by the Hungarian redsludge accident at Ajka in 2010. The ICPDR is working to prevent accidental pollution and to improve response capability by compiling an inventory of all relevant "Accident Risk Spots".