ICPDR

05/06/2026

🌍 Today, on World Environment Day, we are reminded that rivers are at the heart of it all! 🌊

World Environment Day reminds us that a healthy environment starts with the basics: clean water, thriving rivers, and intact ecosystems. For the Danube River Basin, this means not only restoring wetlands and reducing pollution but also collaborating across 14 countries to protect our rivers as a unified system. Every sample taken, every stretch of floodplain restored, and every piece of plastic kept out of the river contributes to a healthier environment. This collective effort benefits nature, enhances climate resilience, and supports the 79 million people who call the basin home.

👉 This World Environment Day, let’s be even better Keepers of the Danube. Please take a moment to think about your river and what you can do to protect it.

03/06/2026

📘 JDS decoded: What is Impoundment?

An impoundment is a stretch of the river where the flow is slowed by a dam or weir. Along the Danube, these are often run‑of‑river weirs or low‑head dams. They don’t create large, lake‑like reservoirs, but they slow the water, reduce flow velocity, and change how the river behaves. This can affect sediment movement and transport, habitats, and how well the river stays connected to its floodplain.

Why do I need to know about this ❓
Many Danube sections are influenced by these backwater effects. In JDS5, impoundment is assessed as a hydromorphological parameter, helping us understand how altered flow and physical conditions affect habitats and aquatic life.

Why does it matter to me ❓
While impoundments can support navigation, hydropower, or water supply, they also interrupt fish migration, trap sediment, and reduce natural habitat diversity. Knowing how these changes shape the river helps balance ecological needs with human use.

Thank you Daniela Csar for your input on this JDS decoded post 👉 Follow along as we unpack more key terms from the Joint Danube Survey!

01/06/2026

🌊 WasserErlebnisTag / Water Experience Day in Kuchl: Feel, Explore, Understand Water

On 2 July 2026, the Bürgerausee in Kuchl turns into a hands‑on water lab: from drinking water and wastewater to river ecology, floods, hydropower and geodata, visitors can experiment, discover and ask questions at interactive stations all day. We will be part of it together with Genblue and Danube Art Master!
🔹 08:00–13:00 programme for registered school classes (around 1,100 pupils)
🔹 13:00–18:00 open for everyone interested

Highlights include:
💧 tasting and testing drinking water
🔬 exploring aquatic life under the microscope
🌧 learning about flood risk and protection
⚡ seeing how water becomes energy
🎭 and a special Science Busters show bringing water science to the stage

Events like the WasserErlebnisTag help make the world of water tangible and show why rivers and lakes matter for our future.

28/05/2026

Rivers tell stories, inspire creativity, and connect communities across the Danube River Basin.

With this year’s Danube Art Master competition, young people aged 6–18 are invited to explore rivers, look a little closer, and turn their ideas into art. The message is simple: let your creativity speak up for rivers and nature. 💙

Our new Danube Art Master video shares more about this year’s competition and how you can take part.

Participants can join individually, with their class, or as a team by creating a nature artwork using materials found along the riverbank, capturing a special moment by the water through photography, or producing a short video with their message for living, healthy rivers.

👉 Are you ready to get creative? Watch the video, choose your idea, and submit your work by 11 October 2026.

More information can be found here: https://loom.ly/mom_rLU

27/05/2026

🌊 Danube Day 2026 is just around the corner!

On 29 June, communities across the Danube River Basin will come together once again under this year’s motto, “United by Danube”, celebrating the river that connects people, cultures and nature across 14 countries.

From river walks and clean-ups to creative workshops and youth activities, Danube Day is all about reconnecting people with the waters that flow through their local towns, cities, and landscapes.

Whether you live along the Danube itself or near one of its tributaries, there’s most likely an event happening near you. 💧

👉 Check out upcoming activities and join the celebration: https://loom.ly/km0Lm0s

📸 Gillmann, Danube Day 2025

22/05/2026

🌿 Plans for the long weekend? Take the Danube with you.

From lush wetlands to meandering riverbanks, the Danube River Basin is home to a remarkable diversity of life.

Our “Danube in your Pocket: Flora & Fauna” guide invites you on a visual journey through some of the plants, fish, insects and other aquatic species that help make this ecosystem so extraordinary, from tiny water fleas to mighty catfish.

So if you’re heading out to the river, a side channel or a nearby wetland, take a walk, look a little closer, and see how much life you can spot along the banks. 🌊🔍

👉 Download the full pocket guide here: https://loom.ly/HQ_WsxY



BOKU University Výskumný ústav vodného hospodárstva / VÚVH

20/05/2026

Our lives are connected, our challenges are mutual, and our future is intertwined. For the Danube River Basin, this is more than a message, it is a daily reality.

Today, the exhibition "Shared Lives, Shared Future" officially opened at the Vienna International Centre Rotunda, marking the United Nations' 80th anniversary through stories that show how the UN impacts people around the world, from peace and security to development, human rights, trade, and the environment.

The was proud to contribute, with remarks from Igor Liska, ICPDR Technical Expert for Water Quality and Water Management, on the importance of transboundary water cooperation in protecting the world’s most international river basin. 🌍

The ICPDR-featured story spotlights Béla Csányi, a biologist from Hungary, whose decades of work on the Danube reflect the real impact of this cooperation. His story shows how UN support, the Danube Regional Project, and the creation of the ICPDR helped transform a shared river basin into a model of international cooperation for cleaner, healthier, and safer waters.

The Vienna exhibition features 24 selected stories from a global collection of more than 200, with the full exhibition available online here: https://www.un.org/en/exhibits/exhibit/un80.

Photo credit: United Nations Vienna

19/05/2026

🗓️ Save the date: Danube Day 2026!

One river. Fourteen countries. Countless communities connected by water.

On 29 June, people across the Danube River Basin will come together to celebrate Danube Day, honouring the river that links cultures, ecosystems and everyday lives from source to sea. 💧

Under this year’s motto, “United by Danube”, events across the basin will invite children, young people and communities to get closer to the waters around them, explore floodplains and aquatic life, and discover how we can all help protect these precious ecosystems together.

👉 Don’t forget to mark your calendars! Find out more about this year's activities here: https://loom.ly/hqPYBCY , or visit DanubeDay.org.



EU Environment, Erste Bank und Sparkasse, Wasseraktiv, Genblue

13/05/2026

Sharing some highlights from the 63rd River Basin Management (RBM) Expert Group Meeting in Prague!
🇨🇿 Yesterday, the Czech Ministry of Agriculture hosted this significant gathering, marking a special first at this historic venue! 🏛️ With a legacy of meetings in 2004, 2008, 2015, and 2022, Prague remains a key location for this expert group's meetings.

This year, we focused on rethinking the Danube River Basin Management Plan (DRBMP).

Our aim? To make it more accessible and impactful while aligning it with national plans and addressing climate change. Strong participation from ICPDR countries showcased our commitment to finding solutions that add real value for the Danube River Basin and for our joint mission towards a cleaner, healthier, and safer Danube. 💚💧



Ministerstvo životního prostředí

13/05/2026

🔬 Missed the Long Night of Research? No worries! Our exciting Danube Quiz is now live!

This year at the Vienna International Centre, we explored the hidden wonders of the Danube: from the detection of the e-DNA of the tiniest microorganisms to captivating stories waiting to be uncovered! 🌊

👉 Now, it's your turn to dive in!
Download the quiz and let’s keep the curiosity flowing!

Get the full recap of this incredible journey here: https://loom.ly/Yr3LSnI

Have you ever wondered what secrets a single drop of water from the Danube River might hold? At this year’s Long Night of Research on 24 April 2026, the ICPDR invited visitors to find out at the Vienna International Centre (VIC).