Search Results

The 2024 Interim report on the Implementation of the Joint Program of Measures in the Danube River Basin has been published This Interim Report on the Implementation of the Joint Programme of Measures in the Danube River Basin, published three years after the adoption of the DRBMP Update 2021, reflects accomplishments and progress made together by Danube countries over the past three years, but also looking back at the adoption of the EU WFD more than 20 years ago.

The European Environment Agency (EEA) has released its latest report, “Europe’s State of Water 2024: The Need for Improved Water Resilience,” shedding light on the growing challenges to Europe’s water security. The report, which draws on data from the 3rd River Basin Management Plans (RBMPs), highlights significant pressures on surface and groundwater bodies across Europe, emphasizing the need for immediate action to strengthen water resilience.

The Joint Programme of Measures is constructed upon the findings of the pressure analysis and the assessment of water status. These serve as the foundation for updating the Danube River Basin Management Plan, incorporating measures of basin-wide significance aligned with the established visions and management objectives outlined in the Water Framework Directive (WFD) for the year 2027.

As the climate crisis worsens, severe droughts devastate European landscapes. According to the data published by the European Drought Observatory, more than 60% of land in the European Union and United Kingdom – an area nearly the same size as India (!) – is now affected by drought conditions. The Danube River Basin and the Danube itself have been affected by serious droughts in the past, e.g., in 2003, 2015, and now again one of the most feared natural phenomenon has gripped much of the Danube River Basin.

The ICPDR has released a 23-page Interim Report on the implementation of its ‘Joint Program of Measures in the Danube River Basin’. The brochure is both a snapshot of the progress being made, and a look at the future of the ICPDR’s three main aims: to make Danube waters “cleaner”, “healthier”, and “safer”. It’s also the first such publication by the ICPDR to take on a new design-focused look, deploying more images and a clearer language in a public-friendly format.

In 2015 significant parts of the Danube River Basin were affected by droughts which negatively impacted different water-dependent economic sectors, vegetation and the aquatic environment. This is the latest of a series of drought events which occurred in Europe during the last decade.