Posted on November, 29 2011

Sofia, Bulgaria - Severe drought affecting the Lower Danube has highlighted the need to strengthen the resilience of river ecosystems and to minimize the impact of structural interventions which reduce their ability to buffer extreme weather events, WWF has warned.

According to Bulgaria’s Agency for Exploration and Maintenance of the Danube River, the volume of water is at the lowest it has been since 1941. The drought has exposed a multitude of sand bars, making many islands accessible on foot. During the summer, a WWF expedition in the Lower Danube recorded a drastic reduction of bird populations due to the unprecedented low level of the river. Bigger ships are frequently getting stranded.

“Extreme weather events are increasingly likely and we must protect and strengthen our ‘green infrastructure’ as best response”, said Andreas Beckmann, Director of the WWF Danube-Carpathian Programme.

“One way to do this is to ensure healthy ecosystems, including living rivers and wetlands. Wetlands have the capacity to soak up water during wet periods, and release it slowly during dry periods. WWF has been piloting ambitious wetland restoration projects along the Danube in cooperation with governments and the process is gaining momentum”, Beckmann added.

80% of Danube's wetlands have been lost in the past century because of human intervention. In addition, large parts of the Danube are experiencing river bed erosion due to gravel extraction, dredging and dams, contributing to a lowering of water tables.

“The current dry conditions also highlight the need to minimize the impact of structural interventions, for example structures to improve navigation conditions and flood protection structures, as they reduce the resilience of water ecosystems”, Beckmann said.

New infrastructure works are still planned in the EU’s Trans-European Network for Transport, designed to eliminate rapids and improve navigation. Changes may affect the ecological status of freshwater ecosystems along 1000 kilometres, the length of the Lower Danube. In addition, new hydropower stations with a capacity of thousands of megawatts are being planned by Danube countries for the coming years, also risking deterioration of water quality and quantity, as well as related ecosystem services all economies ultimately depend on.

“The feasibility of hydropower and navigation projects relies on predictable water levels while climate change is expected to lower predictability and thereby to increase economic risks”, said Irene Lucius, Head of Policy at the WWF Danube-Carpathian Programme.

“WWF is advocating ecosystem-based solutions that work under different climate scenarios and strengthen the capacity of natural and human systems to deal with a changing environment”, Lucius said.