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Vienna will be the location for the
first Ministerial Meeting of the Danube River Protection Convention. |
As ICPDR President Catherine Day expressed in her letter of invitation
to the ministers, it is expected that "the Ministerial Meeting can be used
to evaluate the progress that has been taken in improving management of Danube
waters and, more importantly, to identify strategies and actions necessary for
addressing the challenges that remain”.
Strategic tools for guidance
At the end of 2004, the Danube Basin countries will have completed the first
important milestone in fulfilling the requirements of the EU Water Framework
Directive: the 2004 Roof Report. This report is the first in-depth analysis
of the area on the basin-wide level, compiled under the guidance of the ICPDR
acting as coordinating platform. The 2004 Roof Report, which is the basis for
the development of a single Danube River Basin Management Plan, will be discussed
and adopted by the ministers at the Ministerial Meeting.
As a response to the disastrous floods of 2002 in the Danube Basin, ICPDR has
begun developing the Action Programme for Sustainable Flood Prevention. This
strategic tool for the abatement of flood damages will also be presented to
and adopted by the ministers. An important issue of the discussion will be the
successful cooperation of the ICPDR with the sub-basin initiatives in the Sava
and Tisza River Basins.
The Ministerial Meeting will also set the scene for the presentation of the
international winner of the ‘Danube Art Master’ Competition, which
was carried out as part of the first international Danube Day, celebrated on
June 29 throughout the basin.
Meeting tomorrow’s challenges
A substantial amount of time at the Ministerial Meeting will be allocated to
discussions to evaluate and redirect the future efforts of the ICPDR. As the
highlight of the meeting, the ministers of all Danube countries will endorse
a ‘Danube Declaration’, which expresses the commitment to further
reinforce transboundary cooperation on sustainable water resource management
within the Danube River Basin.
Former ICPDR President Fritz Holzwarth expressed his optimism during a preparation
meeting in Vienna last month, "As Head of the German Delegation I hope
that the Ministerial Meeting will reaffirm the political commitment to the goals
of the Danube River Protection Convention and strengthen us to face the challenges
ahead.”
THE DANUBE RIVER BASIN AND THE BLACK SEA: A JOINT VENTURE
| Bucharest will witness an important meeting for the waters in the Danube-Black
Sea region on 10-12 November 2004. A Stocktaking Meeting will be organized
in the frame of the GEF Danube-Black Sea Strategic Partnership, which is
the “umbrella“ of the UNDP/GEF Danube Regional Project. This
meeting will bring together all major stakeholders involved in projects
and activities aiming to improve water quality, including participants from
the Danube River Basin and the Black Sea countries, the ICPDR and the Black
Sea Commission, the GEF (Global Environment Facility), UN organisations,
World Bank, donors and NGOs. The aim of the meeting is to review the Strategic
Partnership as a whole, as well as individual activities, analyse the results
obtained so far, identify problems and bottlenecks hindering efficient project
implementation and adopt correcting measures. It is an important step towards
better cooperation and stronger synergies. For more information, please contact Ivan Zavadsky, Project Manager of the UNDP/GEF Danube Regional Project, ivan.zavadsky@unvienna.org |