Being the second longest river of Europe, the 2857 km long Danube connects countries with widely differing economic and environmental management needs while passing through numerous large cities – including four national capitals. Besides, the Danube is an international border between: Hungary/Slovakia, Serbia/Romania and Romania/Bulgaria. The river is also critical for the generation of hydropower, navigation, agriculture, recreation, water supply and the natural environment. Major flood events in the Danube River Basin of the recent past occurred in 2002, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2013 and 2014, many of which transboundary and with significant impacts on multiple countries. 

This complexity of the Danube River basin requires coordinated management including in relation to flood management..

The case study [a link needs to be included at the time of publication] sheds a light on the policy and strategic frameworks such as the Danube River Protection Convention (DRPC), the EU Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR) as a macro-regional strategy that form the overall basis for co-operation on transboundary water management in the Danube River Basin. Special focus is put on the role of the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River for triggering stronger coordination including in border areas through the Danube River Basin Management Plan and the Danube Flood Risk Management Plan.

The case study closely examines the cooperative efforts of Danube countries in Central and Eastern Europe, explores the bilateral and in some case multilateral frameworks these countries have established to better address flood prevention, preparedness and response in transboundary areas. It also highlights practical and effective tools and initiatives developed through their joint endeavours to address floods. Most of these stem from joint work as part of the territorial cooperation projects. Among the featured examples are such related to data exchange, flood forecasting and warning, joint procedures across the borders for disaster response, common frameworks for capacity building and coordination of volunteers, rescue services, nature-based solutions for improving transnational water management and flood risk prevention, etc. These collaborative practices not only reflect the dedication of the Danube countries but also serve as valuable examples for regions facing similar challenges in addressing floods. 

Find out more below:

https://danube-region.eu/