Outreach Activities

One of our most important task is to educate the citizens of the region on everything we do for sustainable water usage. Outreach is the secret to our success. And this includes educational activities, events, using social media platform, basically lending a voice to every citizen in the basin when it comes to protecting and managing our waters. 

Educating the public, but in particular young people, is the cornerstone of creating a sustainable future for the our rivers. The earlier we develop a detailed understanding of just how interconnected the lives of people living in Danube River Basin are, the better equipped we are to maintain its natural beauty and our ways of life.

So –  what do we at the ICPDR actually do when it comes to education?

Danube Day  

One of our most important youth-oriented projects is International Danube Day. 

Since its inception in 2004, when it marked the tenth anniversary of the signing of the Danube River Protection Convention, Danube Day has become an annual celebration observed in the countries connected by this majestic river system.

Danube Day annual celebrations take place on and around the 29th June, with events held in countries across the region. On Danube Day, participants from all walks of life, including schools, kindergartens, NGOs, scientific and governmental institutions, and advocacy groups, come together to engage with the river ecosystem through a myriad of activities. These include educational workshops, immersive experience days for children and young people, captivating excursions, enchanting boat trips, soul-stirring concerts, and festive events that captivate the local population.

Everyone is invited to join the ICPDR in celebrating the rich diversity of the Danube Region, its people, wildlife, and plants on International Danube Day. 

The success and impact of International Danube Day have served as an inspiration for other river basins worldwide. One such notable example is the Ganga River Basin, which now celebrates Ganga Day annually. Drawing inspiration from the principles of International Danube Day, Ganga Day aims to raise awareness about the importance of the Ganga River and its basin, as well as promote its protection, conservation, and sustainable use.
The ripple effect of International Danube Day has demonstrated the power of community engagement and collaboration in preserving our precious river systems. 

Danube Art Master

We also run an art competition called Danube Art Master, which gets young people thinking in a bit of a different way about the Danube River.  Often running closely alongside Danube Day celebrations, Danube Art Master is open to children throughout the Danube River Basin. Since its inception, the Danube Art Master competition has brought the river to countless school pupils and young people throughout the Danube River Basin. Our river basin is the most international in the world, so this project has a special meaning, showing millions of young Europeans how important their shared waters, shared culture, and shared talents can be. Danube Art Master is the Danube region’s flagship international environmental arts competition for kids and young people. It is an opportunity for the children of the Danube River Basin to consider and discover the health of their local rivers, and a moment to decide how they wish to help preserve these waters for the future. Our panel judge the works, and crown a winner – 2017’s winning artwork for example, was created by students from Ilidža in Sarajevo. Their creation – entitled simply “Bridge” – was built from plastic bottles and plaited bags, traversing a tributary of the Bosna River. It both emphasizes the river's role in linking people, but also the pressure of pollution that all rivers today face. 

Danube Box

The Danube Box is another popular and successful education project, launched in 2006.    It’s an education toolkit available in several language and country versions that can help teachers when it comes to teaching about the Danube – especially the threats posed to the river, and the need to preserve water resources. The kit includes a handbook for teachers, worksheets, a Danube poster, playing cards, a quiz, maps, and more. The idea being to encourage kids to play, explore, and learn all at the same time. It is only available online today at www.danubebox.org.   
Danube Day, Danube Art Master and the Danube Box do a great job at telling our overall Danube-wide story, while simultaneously allowing some of our local partners to tell their stories, and put themselves at the centre of a story.