Danube Basin
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Dear Readers
This issue of Danube Watch is largely dedicated to the work of the UNDP/GEF Danube Regional Project that will come to an end in June of this year. The project’s end prompted Romania, holding the 2007 ICPDR Presidency, to hold a meeting of Ministers and high officials of all Danube and Black Sea countries in Bucharest to strengthen the cooperation that has developed in the region and emphasise the commitment needed to further reduce pollution and improve water quality. The final declaration adopted at the meeting strengthens the commitment to integrated river basin management.
The Danube also received special recognition by Starvos Dimas, Commissioner of the Directorate General of the Environment, at the EU Water Conference held in Brussels on World Water Day. In his opening statement, Dimas expressed appreciation for the achievements in the Danube River Basin to develop the mechanisms to implement the EU Water Framework Directive and ensure effective river basin planning.
It is clear, however, that the existing cooperation will need to address new challenges. At both the EU Water conference, and at a conference held in Berlin in early February under the German EU Presidency, climate change was highlighted as a long-term threat to the Danube. The Danube Basin has already experienced some of the impacts of a changing climate, including floods and droughts. The Berlin conference underlined that the time to act is now.
Finally, the Danube region and ICPDR has benefited from the support of GEF and UNDP for the past 15 years, and as this basin-wide support comes to an end, I would like to thank GEF and UNDP. Particular thanks goes to Al Duda (GEF Secretariat), Andy Hudson (UNDP), Andy Menz (UNOPS), and the Project Team that has worked closely with the ICPDR Secretariat: Ivan Zavadsky, Peter Whalley, Andy Garner, Kari Eik, Marcela Fabianova, Sylvia Koch, Viennelyn Baba and Paul Csagoly. We are very grateful for the support and assistance they have provided and their personal commitment to making the project a success.
The GEF support has helped the ICPDR be a stronger and more effective institution and our best means of thanks will be to build upon that support and demonstrate the sustainability of the assistance we have received.
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