WWF - News

WWF welcomes new alternative to dams conflict

2011-06-16

Iguassa, Brazil: WWF has welcomed a new tool that will take much of the guesswork out of where – and where not – to site major dams and how to operate them with the fewest adverse effects on communities and the environment.

The Hydropower Sustainability Assessment Protocol, developed over 3 years with input from utilities, public authorities, banks, and environmental and social groups, was officially launched today at the International Hydropower Association (IHA) Congress.

"For communities, this new protocol is a mechanism for ensuring their concerns are seriously addressed early in the process, and not after many of the crucial decisions have already been taken by companies and governments," said WWF Water Security Leader Dr Joerg Hartmann, who led WWF's contribution to developing the protocol.

"For companies, it is a mechanism to avoid expensive projects that provoke needless conflict and fail to deliver predicted returns."

Mitigate the conflict

Hartmann said dam building was a complex process affecting communities, ecosystems and economies, and often pits their interests against one another.

"With pressure to create safe, low-carbon energy sources, we can expect dramatic expansion of hydropower," he said. "But we can mitigate the conflicts if we thoughtfully and thoroughly assess potential environmental, economic and social impacts."

The IHA and other stakeholders also set up a council that will oversee the use of the protocol, on which WWF is represented.

"WWF is committed to supporting this process and making sure that assessments are reliable, that the tool is used for sustainability assessments and not for greenwashing, and that no claims as to the sustainability of projects are made that can't be backed up," Dr Hartmann said.

"Some rivers are more valuable without dams than with them, and one of WWF's continuing concerns will be to identify rivers that should be kept flowing freely, such as the mainstream lower Mekong and the Moraca River in Montenegro.

"These are the sites of highly controversial projects that risk immense damage to rivers and river-dependent communities that are being justified on the basis of superficial assessments." A comprehensive assessment as outlined in the protocol would look at projects during their planning, preparation, implementation and operation stages.

Amazon faces explosion in dams

IHA conference host country Brazil and its neighbours are also facing an explosion in dam proposals across the Amazon that would benefit from early application of the Sustainability Assessment Protocol, according to Pedro Bara Neto, Head of the Free Flowing Rivers & Forest Friendly Roads Program of WWF's Living Amazon Initiative.

In the southern Peruvian Amazon, at least four hydropower projects are planned throughout a territory inhabited by indigenous peoples such as the Ashaninkas, which has led to serious questions about the underlying technical and social criteria of such initiatives.

Likewise, in the Tapajós river basin in Brazil, 11 out of 13 planned projects are expected to be built during the next decade. WWF is advocating a basin-wide approach, in order to minimize impact on this fragile ecosystem. Such an approach would identify the rivers with the highest conservation value in order to steer development away from them.

"There are no silver bullets in conservation, especially in an area as rich and complex as the Amazon, but these new tools provide better opportunities than ever before to support informed decisions based on objective, scientific facts," said Bara Neto.

Tapajós river video:
English: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slUAEXuuDJs
Português: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=av_G5uYwQW4
Español: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkPc29L3_6s

Navigation threat barges in on Danube

2010-12-09

New plans to ease navigation bottlenecks on the Danube could threaten some of the river's most scenic and natural values, said WWF after the release today of plans of the European Commission to increase navigation on the river as part of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region.

The Danube River basin, the most international river basin in the world, comprises 19 countries and is currently home to close to 100 million people. One quarter of them depend on the river for their drinking water.

WWF criticises the decision to increase navigation on the Danube by removing the so-called bottlenecks, obstacles to navigation during low water level. This usually involves deepening and widening the fairway with the help of old-fashioned and expensive infrastructures. Such interventions would not only affect local ecosystems, but the entire river morphology and dynamics as well as the associated flora and fauna.

The number of existing navigation projects show the alarmingly broad definition being applied to the term bottleneck - it includes the last free flowing stretch of the Danube in Germany and the entire Hungarian section of the river. Many areas with outstanding natural values are also being investigated for intrusive navigational works. In the Lower Danube, islands like Belene, Cama-Dinu and Turcescu are considered bottlenecks at the same time as being part of Nature Parks or designated EU Natura 2000 sites.

Although the river has seen considerable improvements in its condition over the last decade, this decision could result in significant negative impacts on its unique environment without bringing the expected economic benefit to the region.

"Heavy investments in diking and dredging the Danube have been justified by various officials with reference to the Rhine river. But the Rhineland has very different conditions from the Danube area, with an industrial base that has developed over centuries and not just thanks to the river. Expecting an economic miracle from investments in Danube navigation is a myth, and potentially a very costly mistake." said Andreas Beckmann, Director of the WWF Danube-Carpathian Programme.

The Danube as opposed to the Rhine, does not harbour as many industrial sites, and many of the large economic centres on the Danube are not located on the river.

"Today is a sad day", said Petruta Moisi, a prominent Romanian environmentalist who lives close to the river in Galati. "It's sad not because there will be navigation along the Danube River – the river has always been navigable – but because of the narrow mindset of the hydrologists and river engineers, who were all trained over the past 50 years and this is their final lifetime opportunity to get things wrong".

"It's the same pattern of thinking that made it possible for the former river wetlands and floodplains to be destroyed for good starting back in the early 1970s."

"I feel sad because I truly believed in all the decision makers' capacity for understanding the issues here. But who will pay the price now for doing things in an unsustainable way? You do not need to be smart to know that", Moisi said.

The current focus of the proposed strategy on expensive and out-dated approaches to increase navigation risks not only waste money but destroy valuable biodiversity and associated ecosystem services, from flood protection to water purification.

"Solutions for improving inland navigation without changing drastically the nature of the river are available and are less costly in financial as well as ecological terms. We need to invest in innovative ship design that fit the existing depth of the river, better information systems, and nature friendly infrastructure." added Beckmann.

WWF is calling on Danube countries and on Hungary as next leader of the EU Council to seize the opportunity of the Strategy to bring short and long term benefits to its population by using its enormous natural and cultural assets in a sustainable way.

Other aspects of the plan, which will continue the improvement of water quality and offer special protection to the sturgeon, were praised by WWF.

For further information:
Stefania Campogianni, Media and Communication Officer, WWF European Policy Office, tel: +32 2 743 88 15, mob. +32 (0)499 539736, email: scampogianni@wwfepo.org

Andreas Beckmann, Director, WWF Danube-Carpathian Programme, mob: +43 676 84 27 28 216, email: abeckmann@wwfdcp.org

Irene Lucius, Head of Policy, WWF Danube-Carpathian Programme, mob: +43 676 84 27 28215, email: ilucius@wwfdcp.org

Sergey Moroz, Freshwater Policy Officer, WWF European Policy Office, mob: +32 499 539734, email: smoroz@wwfepo.org

Hungary could take lead on tackling ticking toxic time bombs from mining

2010-10-11

Kolontàr, Hungary: Hungary, about to take on the EU presidency, could use its position to mount a major push on reducing the human and natural risks of large stockpiles of poorly maintained and regulated mining wastes across eastern Europe, WWF said.

The call comes as emergency operations continue to head off an increasing risk of further large scale flows of toxic aluminium processing sludge from the broken reservoir above the town of Kolontàr. The initial breach of the reservoir walls a week ago killed at least seven, inundated six villages and sent a caustic alkaline plume towards the Danube.

WWF on Friday issued a photograph showing that the reservoir wall was clearly degraded and leaking more than three months prior to the disaster. Work has nearly finished on a secondary dyke, 1500 m long, 30 m wide and 8 m high through and alongside Kolontàr, to reduce damage from any further spills.

"The human and ecological disaster at Kolontàr – the greatest chemical disaster in Hungary's history – has made clear the need to re-assess current regulation of such mine waste sites and begs the question how many other ticking time bombs there are in Central and Eastern Europe," said Gabor Figeczky, interim CEO of WWF-Hungary.

Mining and mineral processing tailings dams – presumably including the Kolontàr reservoir – were listed as a priority concerns in a 2004 comprehensive study on mainly eastern European hazardous and toxic waste sites from the European Commission's Joint Research Center.

Overall, however, it is clear that information on sites, on the risks they present and on what is being done to reduce risks is extremely poor. WWF released a list of recent Danube releases of toxic wastes and some of the major hazard areas last week.

"WWF's list gives an indication of some other possibly dangerous sites in the region but it is by no means provides the kind of exhaustive analysis that is needed," said Andreas Beckmann, Director of WWF's Danube-Carpathian Programme.

From disaster driven policy to risk driven policy

Specifically, WWF is calling on the European Commission and the Hungarian government to complement the work package on sustainable water management with development of an Action Plan for the effective implementation of the EU Mining Waste Directive during Hungary's upcoming Presidency of the European Union, which begins in January 2011.

"This directive is good in that it marks the transition from disaster driven policy on mining wastes to risk driven policy," said Sergey Moroz, policy expert at the WWF-European Policy Office.

"The impetus for the EU's 2006 Mining Waste Directive were major toxic spills at Baia Mare and Baia Borsa in Romania in 2000 and in Donana in southern Spain in 1998. But the new rules introduced by the directive in 2006 failed to treat the Kolantar reservoir's wastes as posing risk to humans and environment."

"Other provisions which may have made a difference to Kolantàr in 2010 - such as third party inspection, monitoring, and reviewing of permits - aren't due to come substantially into effect until 2012."

The Action Plan which Hungary will shortly be ideally placed to push should focus on sites in the new EU Member States in Central and Eastern Europe and include an assessment of risks in neighbouring countries with a potential impact on the European Union, including Croatia, Serbia, Ukraine and Moldova, Moroz said.
.
The Action Plan should include an assessment of risks to humans and environment from all critical mining waste sites; screen all licenses issued for on-going and planned new mining operations with regard to the hazardous substances and their classification, defining immediate measures during the transition period with clear responsibilities for the operators, the respective Governments and the European Commission.

WWF particularly calls for review and amendment of the EU Mining Waste Directive concerning safety, in particular for dams of open tailings. In addition, the European Commission should screen whether the respective EU Directives have been transcribed into national laws and regulations and assess to what extent they have been put into practice.

The Action Plan could be implemented in part as a flagship project within the framework of the new EU Danube Strategy, which is currently being developed by the European Commission and expected to be formally adopted during the Hungary's EU Presidency next spring.

Further information
On the EU Mining Waste Directive and Action Plan:
•Sergey Moroz, Policy Expert, WWF-European Policy Office, +32 499 5397 34
•Andreas Beckmann, Director, WWF Danube-Carpathian Programme, +49 1511 88 54910
On the Hungarian disaster:
•Gabor Figeczky, interim CEO, WWF-Hungary, +36 3067 85 398

About WWF
WWF is one of the world's largest and most respected independent conservation organizations, with more than 5 million supporters and a global network active in over 100 countries. WWF's mission is to stop the degradation of the earth's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world's biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption.

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Hungary toxic mud disaster could have been avoided

2010-10-08

Kolontàr, Hungary: An aerial photograph taken in June showing a damaged and clearly leaking sludge pond wall shows that the toxic mud disaster in Hungary and subsequent pollution of rivers including the Danube could have been avoided, WWF-Hungary said today.

The sludge pond dam wall burst Monday flooding six villages with toxic red mud. Another victim succumbed to injuries in hospital yesterday and two bodies were found during clean up operations today, taking the death toll to seven with one person still missing.

"This new evidence of the degraded state of the walls and significant leakage more than three months before the incident should be cause for an urgent investigation, not just of this disaster but of the state of Hungary's other toxic sludge ponds," said Gábor Figeczky, the Acting Director of WWF-Hungary.

"This points to neglect and a failure of regulation as a prime contributing factor to this disaster."

The photograph was taken by a team from the company Interspect, who were engaged in taking photographs of sludge pools, open-cast mining, and other potentially dangerous, unhealthy industrial sites.

Company representatives told WWF that the state of the Kolontár reservoir was particularly worrying to them because of its close location to family houses.

Fast investigation of other sludge ponds needed

"It is clearly visible on the photos made in June 2010 that the sludge is leaking and part of the wall of this 10th pool was weakened," Figeczky said. "Ultimately, the wall broke in another place, but what you have here is a very clear signal that it was failing and needed inspection and attention over its full length.

"Red sludge is visible in the havaria channels surrounding the factory, which clearly refers to leakage. The red color is generally from iron oxides not soluble in water – so it doesn't fully indicate the presence and extent of leachate containing other toxic substances in movement in the ditch."

"Since the sludge pools are located very close to houses, and natural values, the state of these pools should have been expected regularly with particularly strict measures. WWF is waiting for an explanation of this failure."

WWF-Hungary urged a fast investigation of remaining reservoirs in the area and others around Hungary, along with an urgent aerial mapping of Hungary's Danube banks..

"Now is the time to assess any hazardous areas in the country that could be a possible threats to human life and the environment" said Figeczky. "These photos show that there are technologies available even in Hungary to detect potential hazards within a couple of weeks.

"We are particularly concerned about the much larger reservoirs at Almásfüzitő, built over earthquake prone swamp land right on the river bank just 80 km upstream from Budapest, where all sorts of other materials seem to have been tipped into the alumina processing waste ponds."

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Toxic plume reaches Danube, raises questions about safety in multitude of other sites

2010-10-07

Kolontar, Hungary: As the mixture of red sludge and alkaline water from Monday's breach of a waste dam at a Hungarian alumina plant reached the Danube this morning, the river's second major similar disaster in just over a decade is shifting attention to a multitude of other sites storing bulk liquid wastes in close proximity.

Hungary alone has two other sludge ponds storing similarly toxic and highly alkaline red muds from bauxite processing – one, at Almásfüzitő right on the river bank just 80 km upstream from Budapest, stores around 12 million tones of sludge in seven pools covering around 200 hectares.

WWF-Hungary acting CEO Gábor Figeczky witnessed the anger of villagers in Kolontar yesterday as company representatives under police escort explained that water limits in the dam had not been exceeded before a corner wall breached Monday, unleashing a wall of water and sludge that inundated six villages, killed four, left six missing, injured around a hundred and left hundreds homeless.

"We still don't know what caused this accident and what was in the waste," said Figeczky. "And while we are assured the dam has stopped leaking, authorities have closed the airspace over the site to any but official and company flights."

WWF's Danube Carpathian programme produced a map and list this morning of toxic sites between Hungary and the Danube Delta, itself in the shadow of a steel plant's mountains of abandoned drums with peaks reaching over 100 metres high and the Tulcea aluminum plant's 20 hectare dump of red sludge leaking into the environment through wind and water.

"While the European Union can lay some claim to being relatively advanced in river and water policy, the fact that the company behind this spill is hiding in the fine print of EU definitions of hazard suggests we still have some way to go," said Andreas Beckmann, head of WWF's Danube-Carpathian program.

The EU Mining Waste Directive, which was introduced following major toxic spills at Baia Mare in Romania in 2000 and at Donana in southern Spain in 1998, was meant to prevent exactly this kind of disaster from happening.

"Unfortunately, the EU Mining Waste Directive – which WWF was substantially involved in developing – was significantly weakened as the result of industry lobbying," said Beckmann.

"There are a string of disasters waiting to happen at sites across the Danube basin. A spill from Hungary's Almasfuzito residue reservoir would seriously impact drinking water drinking water supplies and the fragile ecosystems of the middle Danube.

A spill from the facility in Tulcea in Romania, which has already experienced some leaks in the past, would have a devastating impact on the Danube Delta, an area of global importance for flora and fauna."

Acid dump tempers alkalinity, raises its own questions

According to information solicited yesterday and today by WWF-Hungary from the State Representative for Environment Protection, acid dumping in around five locations has reduced alkalinity of waters and sludge from a caustic 13 to around nine in nearby areas.

Plume alkalinity is reported to be under 10 in a side arm of the Danube, near the entry point at Győr, compared too a usual near neutral 7.5.

"There is a chance that at these levels the alkalinity won't kill all fish, as happened in the Marcal River, the tributary bearing the first brunt of the outflow," said Figeczky.

Meanwhile, groundwater readings around Kolontar, the worst hit community, are near normal – although the speed of percolation may mean the main impacts are yet to materialize.

"It is important to handle acids carefully during the neutralization because of the presence of the heavy metals," said Figeczky. "As the alkalinity is reduced, the heavy metals are becoming more soluble and more likely to end up in groundwaters and river flows."

On other hand as the sludge dries, its toxic contents become more likely to reemerge in airborne dust.

Risks multiply down Danube

Almásfüzitő's reservioirs, built over earthquake prone swampland by the river, contain the red sludge byproducts of bauxite refining between 1945 and 1995 mixed with other chemicals, industrial wastewater, communal wastes and oil, according to local NGO's affiliated into the Environmental Culture Association of Esztergom.

The heavy metals ingredient is estimated at about 120.000 tonnes, and the toxic materials are not only mixed with the red sludge but are also mixed into the reservoir dykes. The facility's pools were inadequately or hardly sealed with clay, meaning there is the possibility of extensive flows between ground water and less directly, with the river – a possibility confirmed by multiple high readings for toxic metals and fluorides in monitoring wells recently.

In Serbia, numerous heavy industrial facilities are located close to the river, including the Pancevo complex of oil refineries, fertilizer and vinyl chloride manufacturing plant and associated storages. Surveys following NATO bombing in 1999 "showed the presence of notable quantities of mercury, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), ethylene dichloride (EDC), and other highly toxic substances, including dioxins".

In 2006, a punctured fuel tank at the Serbian port city of Prahavo sent a slick 50-100 m long and 300 metres wide down the river as far as Romania.

Close to 20 tailings dams, some decommissioned but with heavy metals still buried underground, litter Bulgaria..

Romania, site of the massive cyanide contaminated gold processing waste spill into Danube tributaries in 2000, is currently witnessing large protests over a government decision to go ahead with a controversial new mining project at Roşia Montană.

The ArcelorMittal Galati plant was found in September 2009 to be illegally storing thousands of tonnes of waste, much of it in an old dump, described as „a 40 year old mountain of garbage covering one million square meters with "peaks" over 100 meters in height."

Also notorious is the Alum Tulcea alumium producing plant with its 20 hectare landfill of red sludge linked to caustic dust clouds and numerous leaks into waterways that have killed fish and birds in the heritage listed delta.

Alexa Antal, WWF-Hungary, +36 306552407, alexa.antal@wwf.hu

Olga Apostolova, WWF Danube Carpathian program, +359 885 727 862, oapostolova@wwfdcp.bg

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Toxic mud effects likely to be long term in Hungary

2010-10-06

Kolontar, Hungary: As toxic mud polluted waters flow towards the Danuber from Monday's breach of an alumina plant residue dam, WWF-Hungary has warned the environmental impacts could be longer lasting than the 2000 cyanide spill into the Danube basin.

"Currently it is impossible to do any sort of estimate of the magnitude of the damage done to nature," said Gábor Figeczky, Acting CEO of WWF-Hungary from Kolontar – one of six villages flooded by around one million cubic meters (35 million cubic feet) of red mud and highly alkaline water when the corner-walls of the toxic waste reservoir at the Ajka Aluminia Company broke through.

"The red sludge is going down the riverbed of Torna stream. The volume is considerable because it came through at about two meters high, this is known because all the houses and trees are red up to two meters.

"It came with a high pressure because trees and fences have been knocked out. The sludge is going down. I have come from a house in which the red sludge is waist high. Everybody is wearing masks and gloves as they are shoveling the red sludge. The air is poisoned as well. It is very irritating to breath in."

The red stain on Hungary's landscape covers about 40 square kilometers (16 square-miles), with Figeczky noting that "Locals constantly collect the surviving animals, the red, opalescent eyed pets are being carried around in barrows, because their injuries unable them to move. The case is just as bad with the livestock too.

"The damage in the wildlife can not even be appraised – certainly hunters are collecting dead and injured animals including deers, foxes, rabbits and wild boars"

It is certain that the contaminated water would pass through the Danube with a smaller concentration, large and interconnected parts of Europe's Natura 2000 protected areas.

"This puts the conservation related damages very substantial - even at international scale," said Figeczky
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"We expect further damages to fauna and flora, as the materials used in rescue operations and to neutralise alkaline are toxic as well. Some animals and plants die instantly, some will face the consequences of serious poisoning in the longer term as the heavy metals of the red mud accumulate in their bodies, however there is still no information about the concentration of heavy metals in the red mud of this reservoir."

The situation is being actively compared to that of 2000, after cyanide contaminated gold-processing waste spilled from a Romanian waste dam into the Tisza River, a Danube tributaries flowing through the other side of Hungary.

"Ten years ago the cyanide reached Tisza in two waves, first the contaminated water broke out from the Baia Mare water basin, then the sludge full with cyanide and heavy metals flooded into the river," said Figeczky .

The cyanide and the heavy metal have different types of effects. The cyanide immediately destroys the animals, and flows away with the flood.
At the same time the heavy metals soak into the ground and are taken up by the plants and this has a longer-term effect on the environment.
The heavy metal could remain in the ground for decades, and can cause serious effects, like growing disorders. Because of these negative attributes the heavy metal content of this red mud poison is a key issue.

In 2000 the cyanide disaster on the river Tisza, destroyed all of the aquatic animals except the vertebrates.

The river Marcal's dead fish stock can forecast that likely the most of the aquatic animals will die due to the pollution. Similarly to the cyanide pollution these animals can return, and survivors can recolonise areas. But the experts cannot forecast how much time it will take.

While speculation mounts on the natural damage, the human tragedy continues. Four died, six remain missing, more than one hundred were injured and hundreds were forced from their homes.

In the early afternoon people were able to enter the scene of the slurry's outburst.

Aid packages arrive constantly. Locals mostly need rubber boots, clothes, diapers, citric and vinegar acid but any other type of material donation can not be used in this phase.

Locals try to save their belongings but many are bereft of hope. Most of them say they never want to move back to their previous homes.

For further details

Please contact Mr. Gabor Figeczky (acting CEO, WWF-Hungary) for further details at:
gabor.figeczky@wwf.hu
+36 30 678 53 98

WWF fears environmental impact of toxic mud disaster in Hungary

2010-10-05

Budapest, Hungary: WWF is fearful of the long term environmental impacts of the toxic mud disaster in Hungary, following the breach of the residue reservoir of the Ajkai Aluminia Refinery about 160 kilometres south west of Budapest.

Four died, six are still missing and 113 were injured as about one million cubic metres of red mud erupted over six villages at 12:25 Monday after the dam broke. The possibly slightly radioactive and highly corrosive material contains toxic heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, arsenic and chromium and has so far covered around 40 square kilometers.

A third degree alert to be called on the Marcal River, where, according to experts practically the total amount of fish stock of the upper river has already been destroyed. The toll of domestic animals suggests that wildlife would be similarly affected.

The mud has a pH level of up to 13 and acids are being poured into the Marcal to neutralize the alkaline stream before it reaches the Raba and the Danube. Red mud was this morning still flooding from the reserves covering Kolontár, Devecser and Somlóvásárhely. About 500-600 tonnes of cluster have been transported to the river to collect the slightly radioactive material.

"This is an unprecedented incident that effects deeply the ecosystem, wetlands and surface water bodies of the region as well as pointing out the fragility of our drinking water reserves," said Gabor Figeczky, the Deputy CO of WWF-Hungary

According to Dr. Zoltan Illes, Hungary's State Secretary of Environmental Protection, the country only in the beginning of eliminating the damages. First they have to collect the toxic mud, then neutralize it to reduce the harm before it reaches the Danube – predicted to be in about five days from now.

For Danube communities, the spill has reignited memories of the the Baia Mare cyanide spill in Romania In January 2000, a retaining wall failed at the Aurul gold processing plant, releasing a wave of cyanide and heavy metals that would moved quickly from one river to the next through Romania, Hungary, Serbia, and Bulgaria, killing fish and other wildlife and poisoning drinking water.

"I hope that the Kolontar incident will not have the same degree of far reaching consequences as the Baia Mare spill," said Andreas Beckmann, Director, WWF Danube-Carpathian Programme

"From the information I can gather, the escaped sludge would not normally be a direct threat to the Danube River, but unfortunately we are in the midst of the rainy season and it has rained especially hard in Hungary. This means that the sludge will spread faster and further and it is likely inevitable that some sludge will escape into the Danube.

"It's hard for us to know how this will affect the environment. Heavy metals are known for their longevity, they don't disappear overnight.

"This is a good occasion to remind ourselves that such depots – some currently in use, some abandoned – are common place in the Danube region. Some contain heavy metals, some radioactive elements. None of these are safe and the current incident has shown us this."

Hungary has two other such refineries with an estimated 50 million cubic metres of similarly toxic red mud in highly sensitive areas close to rivers (like the one in Almasfuzito on the bank of the Danube), and karst water reservoires threatening wildlife, wetlands and safe drinking water.

For further details

Please contact Mr. Gabor Figeczky (deputy CO, WWF-Hungary) for further details at:
gabor.figeczky@wwf.hu
+36 30 678 53 98

France gives major boost to international water treaty

2010-06-04

Palais du Pharo, Marseille, France - France is set to become the 20th country to sign up to a key international convention governing the use and protection of rivers and lakes crossing or forming international boundaries.

The announcement, made this morning by French Secretary of State for Ecology Chantal Jouanno at the kick off meeting of the 6th World Water Forum to be held in Marseille in 2012, is a major boost for the 13 years old UN Watercourses Convention, which requires 35 contracting parties to come into effect.

France's accession, which follows that of Guinea-Bissau in May and Spain and Tunisia in 2009, still requires the French Senate to give the green light to a bill authorizing the ratification of the convention. France's National Assembly passed this measure last month.

The Secretary of State for Ecology went on to say that France will actively promote ratification of the Convention.

France's move has been welcomed by Green Cross International (GCI), the International Network of Basin Organisations (INBO) and WWF International, three major organisations that have long campaigned for the convention as the basis for peaceful resolution of disputes over water sharing in international rivers, lakes and aquifers.

"More than 100 nations voted for the UN Watercourses Convention in 1997," said Flavia Loures, leader of the campaign for the widespread endorsement of the convention within WWF's Global Freshwater Programme. "They voted for it because they recognised then that you can have agreement or you can have conflict over water.

"While additional agreements over specific transboundary waters have been adopted between countries since, many such agreements fail to deal with key water management issues. The world still very much needs the fair and overall blueprint supplied by the UN Watercourses Convention."

"As we increasingly wake up to a world of water shortages linked to climate change, economic growth and urbanisation, we are seeing more and more interest in discussions on transboundary water issues, and more and more interest in the convention."

"Acceding to the Convention will not create new obligations for French rivers as they are already subject to more stringent European Union rules. The announcement made by France, as the host country of the next World Water Forum, sends a strong message to the international community on

the importance of improving transboundary water management" said Marie-Laure Vercambre, the Water Programme Leader of Green Cross International.

"France has been anxious to promote an international legal regime for water, the principles of integrated water resources management included in the Convention and a framework for peace within the geopolitics of water."

Currently the only legal instrument dealing with global management of transboundary waters, the UN Watercourses Convention potentially sets standards and rules for cooperation between states sharing some 276 international watercourses - including many of the world's major river systems such as the Amazon, Rio Grande, Indus, Ganges, Mekong, Amur, Nile, Congo, Rhine and Danube.

The convention establishes the principles of equitable and reasonable use of and participation in the sound management of international watercourses, codifies the rights and duties of riparian states, promotes dialogue and data sharing, and facilitates negotiations on the adoption of regional and watercourse treaties.

"France has been at the forefront of national river basin management and transboundary issues since the Water Act of 1964 creating the Basin Committees and Water Agencies," said Jean-François Donzier, Permanent Technical Secretary of INBO. "The rules that the UN Watercourses Convention establishes reflect this French model of river basin management that has now been adopted by some sixty countries around the world.

"This model also inspired the European Union Water Framework Directive, which itself created obligations for the coordinated management of transboundary rivers and mandatory participation of all stakeholders, including civil society, in the water management process.

"France encourages the implementation of these principles of governance within the framework of its international cooperation, in particular by supporting the International Network of Basin Organizations."

The Convention will soon count 20 contracting states, including France – that is, 15 short of the number required for entry into force.

Further information:

Steal for it, shoot for it or sign for it: Stark choices facing a world running short on water at
http://assets.panda.org/downloads/media_backgrounder_steal_for_it_forum_final_nov2009.pdf

Flavia Loures, Senior Program Officer, WWF Global Freshwater Programme, flavia.loures@wwfus.org +1 202 640 9055

Marie-Laure Vercambre, Water Programme Leader of Green Cross International, marie-laure.vercambre@gci.ch +33 6 8004-0481

Christiane Runel, EURO – RIOB, presse-riob@wanadoo.fr ou service-de-presse@oieau.fr

About Green Cross International
Green Cross International (GCI) is a leading environmental organization. Founded by President Mikhail Gorbachev in 1993, this non-profit and non-governmental organisation promotes a combination of high level advocacy with key international stakeholders, runs campaigns and manages local projects to address the inter-connected global challenges of security, poverty eradication and environmental degradation. GCI is present in over 30 countries and has its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. More information about GCI is available at www.gci.ch www.gci.ch and on twitter@GreenCrossInt

About Europe-INBO
The Europe-INBO group of European basin organizations was created in 2004 to implement the Water Framework Directive by the concerned members of the International Network of Basin Organizations for exchanging field experiences and reporting to the EU Commission about the implementation difficulties.
Europe-INBO also presented at the November 2008 EU Water Directors meeting a mid-term report on the transboundary cooperation organized among the riparian States of European shared watercourses. More information on www.inbo-news.org

About WWF
WWF is one of the world's largest and most respected independent conservation organizations, with more than 5 million supporters and a global network active in over 100 countries. WWF's mission is to stop the degradation of the earth's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world's biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption. www.panda.org

EU Danube Strategy to promote basin-wide development

2010-03-05

WWF welcomes the EU's initiative to develop a Danube Strategy, which can help bring together and implement existing policies and legislation to achieve long-term sustainable development across the Danube basin.

Development of the Strategy comes at a time when the Danube region faces a series of unprecedented crises: financial, economic and -- even more ominously -- from climate change and loss of biodiversity and related ecosystem services.

"The EU Danube Strategy presents an opportunity for the countries of the Danube region to get ahead of the development curve -- to pull themselves together and put themselves on a path toward a long-term and prosperous future, including a green, carbon-free and resource-efficient economy," said Andreas Beckmann, director of the WWF Danube-Carpathian Programme.

Baltic inspiration

The initiative has been inspired by the Baltic Strategy, which was officially adopted last year and is now focusing efforts of Baltic countries from Sweden to Estonia to address issues including marine pollution and transportation.

A five-month public consultation process for the Danube Strategy got under way on February 2 with a kick-off conference that took place in Ulm in Germany. Follow-up events are planned to take place through June in Budapest, Vienna, Ruse (Bulgaria) and Constanta (Romania), providing input for a draft to be developed by the European Commission in the summer that is expected to be officially adopted under the Hungarian EU Presidency in spring 2011.

WWF has published a discussion paper (see download to the right) related to the Danube Strategy; an official position will follow in early April.

European Commission officials have been clear that the Strategy will bring no new funding, no new legislation and no new institutions – i.e. it can thus only focus and coordinate efforts on issues of common interest to countries in the Danube basin. Nevertheless, the Strategy can influence the allocation of existing funds, and shape priorities for the EU's next financial period, 2014-21.

Danube basin

The Danube is the most international river basin in the world, including all or parts of the territories of 19 countries and home to some 83 million people. The region includes some of the economically poorest and richest countries in Europe, as well as a major portion of the continent's natural wealth.

The key challenge and opportunity for the future of the Danube basin is to find ways to enhance livelihoods while preserving and even enhancing the ecosystems that provide essential goods and services for people and nature – and addressing through this significant differences in socioeconomic development between countries such as Austria and Germany on the one hand, and Bulgaria and Romania on the other.

The EU and Danube countries already have most if not all of the tools they need to achieve this objective, from progressive legislation such as the EU Water Framework Directive to funding programmes that in theory can provide financing for investments in a green economy, including investments in e.g. wetland restoration or nature conservation.

The problem in most cases has been putting what is required or possible on paper into actual practice. The Danube Strategy may help in focusing and integrating efforts to implement relevant policies, both across sectors and national borders, and including with those Danube countries like Ukraine or Serbia that are not presently members of the Union. It can also help address specific environmental challenges, including nutrient pollution, e.g. from agriculture and household detergents; networking protected areas; or promoting energy efficiency.

In addition, the Strategy can also complement and build on existing initiatives and achievements, including the Carpathian Convention and the recently adopted Danube River Basin Management Plan – the first comprehensive, cross-sectoral plan for the region, which has been developed and adopted by all countries in the Danube river basin, including both EU and non-EU member states.

Déjà vu?

But the Danube Strategy may have gotten off on the wrong foot in terms of addressing the key challenge of integrating environment and development.

In its current form, the Strategy envisions three pillars, including environment, socio-economic development and connectivity, especially related to transport and energy. The approach risks repeating the present major challenge of treating the issues separately and in isolation -- an approach that has many efforts working at cross-purposes, e.g. on the lower Danube, where current approaches to developing navigation risk unnecessarily cutting sturgeon migration routes, possibly pushing the ancient Danube species to extinction.

Interventions planned through the Danube Strategy must maintain and enhance the region's natural and social capital as the foundations for long-term development in the region.

"The unprecedented crises that we are facing are ample proof that business as usual is simply not an option", Beckmann said. "We need a paradigm shift, and with a bit of imagination and courage, the Danube Strategy can provide this by painting and helping to realise a bold and long-term vision for sustainable development in the region."

Contact:
Irene Lucius, Senior Policy Coordinator, WWF-DCPO

A decade on, Lower Danube exceeds green corridor targets

2010-02-17

Vienna - A decade after four governments agreed to work together to establish a "green corridor" along the entire length of the Lower Danube River, Europe's most ambitious wetland protection and restoration programme is well ahead of targets for creating protected areas.

The Lower Danube Green Corridor Declaration, signed by environment ministers of Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine and Moldova in 2000, pledged to boost protection for 775,000 ha of existing protected areas and bring another 160,000 ha under protection along the river's final 1000 kilometres.

The level of achievement however was much higher with some 1.4 million ha has been brought under protection to the benefit of some of Europe's most outstanding wildlife and in enhancing water security, flood control and recreational opportunities for the area's 29 million people.

Running behind target however is the task of wetlands restoration with the countries slightly more than a quarter of the way to their target of restoring 224,000 ha of former wetlands.

It is calculated that over the past couple of centuries, some 80% of the Danube's original floodplains, including important wetland areas, have been lost mostly due to drainage for agriculture and industry as well as flood prevention and navigation.

Wetlands protection and restoration key to a healthy river

"Wetlands protection and restoration is the key to a healthy river able to better deal with both droughts and floods," said Andreas Beckman, Director of WWF's Danube-Carpathian Programme. "Wetlands are not only cheap to maintain, but also save money and this is why we are taking steps not only to protect what remains, but actually to regain at least some of what has disappeared."

The wide array of benefits provided by wetlands include flood and drought management through holding and slowly releasing water and water purification through filtration. Wetlands are also areas rich in resources such as fish and reeds.

€500 per hectare a year in wetland benefits

The value of the various benefits from Danube floodplains is estimated to be at least €500 per hectare a year.

But while WWF would like to see more work on wetlands restoration, Beckman said it was still appropriate to pay tribute to the protected area achievements of the four countries.

"The Lower Danube Green Corridor was and still is the most ambitious wetland protection and restoration initiative in Europe," he said.

"We are looking forward to more ambitious targets for the next phase of developing the green corridor – and hopefully to celebrating again that the river is better protected than we had expected."

Ministers of the environment and their deputies from the four nations gathered in Vienna this week to celebrate the ten year anniversary of the Lower Danube Green Corridor and affirmed their commitment to continue working together to develop the corridor. The celebration was a side event at a ministerial meeting of all 14 Danube nations to adopt a five year management plan for the river, one of the world's most international waterways.

Key topics in the plan, which will also benefit the efforts in the lower Danube and its outstanding delta area include reducing pollution, offsetting the impacts of structural changes to the river, improving urban wastewater systems, bringing phosphate free detergents to all markets and better managing pollution accidents.

WWF research around the world has also shown that rivers and basins functioning naturally will be those best able to cope with challenges of climate change such as more frequent and severe floods and longer and deeper dry spells.

"WWF is calling on all countries of the Danube basin to set qualitative and ambitious targets for each country for wetland protection and restoration as a cost-effective means for securing a host of essential ecosystem services including flood management, clean drinking water and better protection from climate impacts," said Andreas Beckman.

"Let us continue giving life to the Danube, so that the Danube can continue giving life to us."

Along the Lower Danube Green Corridor

After squeezing through the Iron Gates gorge and dams between Serbia and Romania, the Danube flows free for 1,000 kilometers through Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova and Ukraine before emptying into the Black Sea. The Lower Danube is one of the last free-flowing stretches of river in Europe.

Dependent on this part of the river are not only Europe's greatest natural treasures, but also the 29 million people who live in the Lower Danube River basin – people who directly benefit from the many services that the river provides, from drinking water to natural resources and recreation.

In the Lower Danube the natural dynamics of the river have formed and re-formed nearly 200 islands that are home to rich floodplain ecosystems. The islands are important elements of the Danube migration corridor – stepping stones for fish, fowl and other fauna as well as flora on their journeys up and down the river.

The Danube's greatest jewel is its delta, Europe's largest remaining natural wetland area and, as regarded by WWF, among the 200 most valuable ecological areas on earth. A total of 5,137 species have been identified along the lower stretch of the river, including 42 different species of mammals, and 85 species of fish.

The Lower Danube and Danube Delta are especially important as breeding and resting places for some 331 species of birds, including the rare Dalmatian pelican, the white-tailed eagle, as well as 90% of the world population of red-breasted geese.

Beluga sturgeon, which can grow to a length of 6 meters – the size of a large dolphin - are famous for their caviar. They spawn in the gravel banks of the Lower Danube and migrate downstream to spend the rest of the year in the Black Sea.

Bulgaria

The most ecologically-important areas along the Lower Danube Green Corridor in Bulgaria are the Islands of Belene and Kalimok Marshes. There, former floodplain forests and wetlands are being restored, reconnecting them with the river, creating rich feeding, breeding and spawning grounds for fish, flora and fauna. This has provided opportunities for fishing, and economic benefits from grasslands and wetland resources, along with the survival of the riverine floodplain forest as an ecologic benefit. These model projects are the first of its type in Bulgaria.

Romania

The Danube Delta is one of the world's most important eco-regions for biodiversity. In Romania, dry and unproductive land on the major islands of Babina and Cernovca has been returned to the river. The islands have been turned into a mosaic of habitats that offer shelter and food for many species, including rare birds and valuable fish species. The economic benefits of the restoration works (3,680 ha), in terms of increased natural resources productivity (fish, reed, grasslands) and tourism, is about €140,000 per year. Progress with restoration is also moving forward on the Lower Danube islands from Calarasi to Braila.

Moldova

In Moldova, large sections of the Lower Prut River have been brought under protection and management plans are being prepared. With the support of the local community, a new management plan will be implemented at the Lake Beleu Scientific Reserve. This first attempt for an integrated management of wetlands will be expanded in the Lower Prut area as part of a Trilateral Biosphere Reserve between Moldova, Romania and Ukraine.

Ukraine

On the Ukrainian side of the Danube Delta, authorities and NGOs are working hand in hand to develop a vision for the protection and restoration of the wetland areas – and have taken steps toward its realisation. Bulldozers have breached dikes on Tataru and Ermakov Islands, restoring natural flooding to 800 ha. This has allowed for the re-establishment of natural flooding conditions, creating rich feeding, breeding and spawning grounds for fish, flora and fauna. Today amazing rare birds, such as white-tailed eagles, pygmy cormorants and ferruginous ducks, thrive on Tataru Island, while inner lakes serve as spawning places for young fish from the Danube.

Danube management plan a big step forward

2010-02-16

The official adoption of the Danube River Basin Management Plan marks an important step for the management of the Danube, the most international river basin in the world. The plan, which has been officially adopted by all Danube countries, including both EU and non-EU member states, outlines concrete measures to be implemented by the year 2015 to improve the environmental condition of the Danube and its tributaries. It is the first such comprehensive management plan for the Danube, seeking to improve not only water quality but also the ecological health of the river.

Measures include the reduction of organic and nutrient pollution, offsetting environmentally detrimental effects of man-made structural changes to the river, improvements to urban wastewater systems, the introduction of phosphate-free detergents in all markets and effective risk management of accidental pollution. Other measures include efforts to restore migration of fish, such as the giant beluga sturgeon, across dams as well as to reconnect former floodplain wetlands to the river. The plan takes a source-to-sea approach and addresses key requirements of the European Union Water Framework Directive.

The plan was adopted by ministers and high-level representatives responsible for water in the Danube basin from Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Montenegro, the Republic of Moldova, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Ukraine and the European Commission at a Ministerial Meeting organised by the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR) in Vienna on 16 February 2010.

WWF, speaking at the Ministerial Meeting on behalf of the 5 NGO observers at the ICPDR, warmly welcomed adoption of the Danube River Basin Management Plan, but raised a number of concerns regarding its implementation, including ongoing plans to develop inland navigation as well as hydropower on the Danube. The NGOs also called on the ministers to support an EU-wide ban of phosphates in detergents.

Before the Ministerial Meeting, WWF, Bund fuer Naturschutz (Friends of the Earth Germany) and LBV (BirdLife Germany) presented the president of the ICPDR with 100,000 signatures of a petition calling on Danube governments to protect the Danube as a living river and to avoid damage from infrastructure development connected to navigation.

The Ministers at the ICPDR meeting also evaluated the progress towards the protection and sustainable use of water and other ecological resources and reaffirmed and strengthened their commitment to transboundary cooperation in the Danube River Basin.

Flood action plans for the 17 sub-basins in the Danube catchment area were also officially adopted at the meeting. The sub-basin plans contain hundreds of concrete measures the Danube countries will take to protect their populations from floods and to mitigate the flood damage and losses, such as those caused by the massive floods in the years 2002, 2005 and 2006.

The ICPDR ministerial meeting was followed by a short event organised by WWF to celebrate the 10th year anniversary of the Lower Danube Green Corridor.

Link to OTS photos from the ICPDR Ministerial Meeting

Bulgarian natural icon turns 75 under threat of dubious construction activities

2009-10-28

Sofia, Bulgaria – A massive expansion of skiing infrastructure is threatening the essence of Vitosha Natural Park, one of Bulgaria's most famous and popular protected areas, on the eve of it's 75th anniversary.

Right at the edge of national capital Sofia, Vitosha mountain is a much loved destination for those wishing to escape the hustle and bustle of a busy city. Trekking routes and skiing facilities attract between 2,5 and 4 million people each year.

However, three years after acquiring a monopoly on skiing facilities in the area in an already dubious manner, Vitosha Ski, is planning to boost the current 19 ha ski area more than seven fold to 142,5 ha, adding eight new ski pistes and 18 ski lifts.

If the construction goes ahead, it would destroy the habitats of the species including bears, wolves, wild cats and chamois for which Vitosha was designated a European Natura 2000 site.

The new ski zone would rise on territory owned by the state, for which the Forestry Agency is responsible and although the Forestry Agency has not yet approved the plans the threat must be taken seriously.

"From the very beginning the ski zone expansion has been planned and pushed through in a way that is quite obviously in breach of a number of Bulgarian laws, not only environmental" , Vesselina Kavrakova, Program Manager of the WWF Danube - Carpathian Program in Bulgaria, said.

Worryingly, this is yet another case in Bulgaria of illegal or semi-legal construction of ski and tourism infrastructure. Among others, many of the skiing facilities of the well known resort of Bansko in south-west Bulgaria were unlawfully built in the heart of Pirin National Park.

The European Commission has initiated penalty procedures against Bulgaria because of violations of environmental law in the case of Bansko.

Earlier this month environment minister Nona Karadjova abolished a non-transparent decision by the Regional inspectorate of environment and water that would have given a go-ahead to construction work.

"We welcome the Minister's decision", Toma Belev, Director of Vitosha Nature Park administration, said. "The interest in protected areas in Bulgaria and Romania by private investors is huge as these areas are part of the nations' natural treasure, emblematic for these countries and therefore easier to 'exploit'."

In an opinion poll conducted by Alpha Research in 2008, 73.6% of respondents said that destruction of nature is the greatest environmental problem in Bulgaria; 58.3% said that illegal construction was the greatest problem.

In 2007, over 145,000 people signed a petition calling on the Bulgarian authorities to take action.

NGOs join forces to save a living Danube threatened by inland navigation plans

2009-10-09

"Inland navigation can be considered as a viable alternative to road freight only if both global CO2 emissions and local impacts on river ecosystems are considered equally", says Orieta Hulea, Head of Freshwater at the WWF Danube-Carpathian Programme. "Navigation projects that require regulation of the river bed and bank impede the multitude of services, free flowing rivers provide to society, such as drinking water supply, flood control, acting as a natural filter for pollutants or support of healthy fisheries. These aspects must be considered when discussing transport plans and projects. Otherwise in areas like the Danube environmental damages risks are higher than benefits".

As part of the European TEN-T programme, infrastructure projects are planned for the Danube on a combined length of 1000 km including the last free-flowing stretches in Germany, the Danube National Park between Vienna and Bratislava, and large stretches of the middle and lower Danube in Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria.

Current plans in Hungary would affect groundwater supply and natural areas protected under national and international law. Proposed dredging works and closing of lateral arms on the Danube in Romania will endanger the fish population due to the loss of the main spawning grounds especially for sturgeons, which are already on the brink of extinction as a direct consequence of previous river regulation.

With more than 80 million people depending directly on the economic value of its river basin natural systems, the Danube is the lifeline of Europe. "In every village and town along the Danube farmers, fishermen and small companies are depending on the natural river eco-system," reminds Harald Kutzenberger, IAD General Secretary. "We should not easily risk thousands of local jobs along the Danube as a result of gaps in the Environmental Impact Assessments – and loose the strong potential for eco-tourism and rural development."

NGOs are calling for the EU and national governments to guarantee and regain functioning ecosystem processes, respect socio-economic needs of regional and local economies, and prove that navigation projects meet all legal requirements, in particular compliance with the non-deterioration clause of the European Union's Water Framework Directive (hereafter WFD) as well as achievement of the environmental objectives of the Danube River Basin Management Plan and Natura 2000 sites.

For further information:
Orieta Hulea, Head of Freshwater, WWF Danube Carpathian Programme, Tel. + 40 21 3174996,
E-mail: ohulea(at)wwfdcp.ro

Harald Kutzenberger, General Secretary, International Association for Danube Research, Tel. +43 676 328 33 12, e-mail: kutzenberger(at)iad.gs

Croatia and Hungary to establish Europe´s largest river protected area - 20 years after the fall of the Iron Curtain

2009-09-16

Barcs, Hungary 17 September 2009 – Croatia and Hungary signed today a declaration to establish a Trans-Boundary UNESCO Biosphere Reserve that will protect their shared biodiversity hotspot along the Mura, Drava and Danube Rivers. This paves the way to create Europe's largest river protection area.

The ceremony in the presence of the Prime Ministers of Croatia and Hungary, Mrs Jadranka Kosor and Mr Gordon Bajnai, took place in the border city of Barcs, Hungary.

Given the global significance of this agreement, WWF has highlighted the leading role of the Governments of Croatia and Hungary with a "Leaders for a Living Planet" award, handed over by Lifeng Li, Director of WWF Global Freshwater Programme.

"This cross border agreement to protect an area of great natural importance will foster regional cooperation, international understanding and peace keeping – 20 years after the fall of the 'Iron Curtain'", said James P. Leape, Director General of WWF International. "It is not only a significant advance for the region but can serve as an example of how nature conservation visions can bring countries together".

With rare large floodplain forests, river islands, gravel banks and oxbows, the new protected area covers a 500 kilometres section of the three rivers and about 630,000 hectares of unique natural and cultural landscapes. The protected area, which has been declared with help of WWF and partner organisations (e.g. Drava League, Green Action and Euronatur) is awaiting UNESCO approval to become a Biosphere Reserve in 2010.

Today's agreement, which was signed by the Ministers of Croatia and Hungary, Božo Biškupić (Minister of Culture) and Imre Szabó (Minister for Environment and Water) has the potential to become the cornerstone for a five-country Biosphere Reserve shared with Austria, Slovenia and Serbia. This would create the world's first Biosphere reserve, commonly shared by five countries.

"WWF greatly welcomes this step of the governments of Croatia and Hungary as a very important milestone for the conservation of Europe's natural treasures," said Gábor Magyar, CEO of WWF Hungary. "This cross-border undertaking between a current and a future EU member is a potent symbol of the proposed unification of Croatia with the European Union," Andreas Beckmann, Director of WWF's Danube-Carpathian Programme added.

The area is home to the highest density of breeding pairs of the White-tailed Eagle in Europe and endangered species such as Little tern, Black stork, otters and sturgeons. It is also an important stepping stone for more than 250,000 migratory waterfowls every year. "The diversity of species in this region is one of Europe's richest. Such areas can only be topped by the tropical rainforests," says Arno Mohl, project leader "Mura-Drava-Danube" Biosphere Reserve from WWF Austria.

Moreover, the river ecosystem is vital for the socio-economic well being of the trans-boundary region. It is a major source for good drinking water, for natural flood protection, sustainable forestry, agriculture and fisheries as well as having an important role in promoting eco-tourism, awareness raising and environmental education in the region.

"We encourage Austria, Slovenia and Serbia to join the proposed Biosphere Reserve with Croatia and Hungary to complete this green belt protecting the heart of Europe", WWF stresses.

Danube Day -- fears amidst the celebrations

2009-06-28

Amidst the celebrations of this year's Danube Day on June 29, WWF is concerned about persisting threats to the Danube as a living river. Government and EU plans to remove "bottlenecks" for navigation could impact up to 1,000 km of the river's most natural sections, and threaten to violate the non-deterioration clause of the EU Water Framework Directive.

Plans by the Romanian government to improve navigation between Calarasi and Braila on the Lower Danube could severely impact sturgeon migration routes, possibly pushing the already threatened fish species into extinction. WWF has tabled alternative solutions that would facilitate navigation while limiting negative impacts.

EU plans for developing the Danube as a major shipping corridor have called for the removal of "bottlenecks" on up to 1,000 km of the river's length. Traditional approaches to improving navigation involving damming, diking and dredging could have disastrous effects on the river, its natural goods and services.

WWF will present these and other concerns at public consultations on the Danube River Basin Management Plan that is being organized by the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River in Bratislava on June 29-30.

The consultations are taking place within the framework of the EU Water Framework Directive, which calls for all rivers, lakes and coasts to achieve 'good ecological status' by 2015. European citizens have a key role to play in implementing the directive, which calls for the public to be informed and involved in the preparation of river basin management plans.

WWF has developed alternatives for promoting shipping while limiting damage to the Danube as a living river. The focus should first be on measures such as improved ship technology and logistics that do not require major changes to the river. Only after such alternatives are exhausted should much more expensive and non-reversible river modifications come into consideration.

WWF is also calling for increased attention to floodplain restoration in the Danube basin as a key measure for addressing climate change and securing ecosystem services, such as flood protection, drinking water provisioning and biodiversity.

According to a WWF commissioned study, the potential for floodplain restoration is much higher than countries have indicated in the draft river basin managment plan. Floodplains provide multiple benefits for humans and nature, securing a range of ecosystem services from flood protection to replenishing drinking water. Protecting and restoring floodplains can make a major and cost-effective contribution to addressing the challenge of climate change.

Romania has ambitious plans to restore over 400,000 ha of Danube floodplains, but work toward this ambitious goal is not planned before 2015.

Contact:
Andreas Beckmann, WWF Danube-Carpathian Programme, +43 676 84 27 28 216

WWF workshop highlights nature conflicts with inland navigation around the world

2008-10-17

Infrastructure development, such as implementation of river engineering works to promote IWT, and living river ecosystems are often considered to be "natural born enemies". This issue was presented at a workshop held on October 7, 2008, illustrating the Danube, upper Mississippi, Paraguy-Pantanal, and Yangtze Rivers as examples.

WWF and TNC agreed to further explore possible common solutions to conflicts between navigation and the environment. Whereas some river systems, such as the upper Mississippi, have been extensively modified to accommodate for navigation, areas like the lower Danube, are in a near-natural state with free flowing sections. Sharing lessons learned in sustainable practices and innovative solutions at all stages of river "development" is one way of safeguarding the environment, while at the same time not hampering the promotion of IWT. Such solutions include investing in inter-modal logistics and eco-friendly ship designs, implementing ecological restoration projects along navigable stretches to reduce impact on river ecosystems, and promoting sustainable transport policies.

The Congress attracted over 8,000 participants from various backgrounds in conservation and sustainable development. Congress participants came from governments, NGOs, business, the UN and academia.

This workshop was a spin off of the WWF's work on inland navigation in the Danube basin. Currently, more than 1000 km of the Danube's last-remaining, untouched river sections are under serious threat from European inland navigation plans. Using inland waterway transport as an example, this workshop highlighted WWF's work in the Danube River Basin to halt the threats, and promote sustainable alternatives, stemming from Europe's expansive development plans for the Danube River.

The workshop was organised by the WWF Danube-Carpathian Programme with generous support from the MAVA Foundation.

Contact: Suzanne Ebert, Freshwater Officer, WWF Danube-Carpathian Programme, email: sebert@wwfdcp.org, tel: +43 1 524 5470-18

End notes:

Speaker presentations (soon to be uploaded), the workshop agenda and additional information on WWF's work on inland navigation on the Danube can be found at www.danubecampaign.org.
The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is one of the leading conservation organizations working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. Read more about TNC's work on the Mississippi River and its Great Rivers Partnership at http://www.nature.org/wherewework/greatrivers/.
IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, helps the world find pragmatic solutions to our most pressing environment and development challenges. It supports scientific research, manages field projects all over the world and brings governments, non-government organizations, United Nations agencies, companies and local communities together to develop and implement policy, laws and best practice. IUCN is the world's oldest and largest global environmental network - a democratic membership union with more than 1,000 government and NGO member organizations, and almost 11,000 volunteer scientists in more than 160 countries.
Read more about the IUCN World Conservation Congress at www.iucn.org/congress.

Danube getting cleaner

2008-10-02

The findings of the second Joint Danube Survey, which were announced by the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River on September 11, confirm that the cooperation among Danube countries to reduce pollution is bringing positive results. Progress has been made in many areas since the Joint Danube Survey 1 of 2001.

Water quality is generally improving, but more work is needed. People can swim in parts of the Danube River Basin, but not everywhere. People can eat fish without health risk, but further investigation of mercury concentrations is needed in some areas.

The Danube still contains significant natural populations of plants and animals. The first ever systematic survey of the river's "hydromorphology" (the physical characteristics of its shape, boundaries and content) identified large areas that remain in good natural condition. Positive efforts that have been made to restore damaged natural areas, such as floodplains near Vienna and in the Danube Delta, need to continue if a good ecological condition of the river is to be achieved everywhere.

At the same time, the survey confirms that a further reduction of nutrients and organic pollution is needed. The Danube continues to show signs of degradation downstream of major cities and in a number of important tributaries because of poor municipal waste treatment. Efforts to establish waste water treatment plants in the basin, particularly in cities such as Budapest, Belgrade and Bucharest, need to be accelerated. Some countries need to intensify the pollution control efforts by industry on major tributaries. Overall, the reduction of pollution from agriculture (both nutrients and pesticides) must continue. Some toxic hot-spots also require more active attention.

Areas for further research and investigation were also identified. This includes levels of mercury in some samples, particularly in fish, as well as the sources of pollutants in some tributaries. The large number of non-native fish and other organisms in the Danube also require further assessment.

"More intensive discussions with stakeholders - such as the navigation and agriculture sectors, hydropower and the detergent industry - about measures to reduce particular pressures are needed," said ICPDR Executive Secretary Philip Weller. "The cooperative climate that exists among many stakeholders for addressing the problems needs to be maintained."

"The results of the latest Danube Survey underlines the progress that has been made in cleaning up the Danube as well as the qualities of the river that still exist," said Michael Baltzer, head of the WWF Danube-Carpathian Programme. "In addition to addressing remaining problems, we need to ensure that current EU and national plans to develop the Danube for shipping don't undermine the very substantial progress that has been already achieved."

Contacts:
Paul Csagoly, ICPDR Secretariat
Andreas Beckmann, WWF Danube-Carpathian Programme

Passau: Abschlusskonzert der Linz-Europa Tour 2008

2008-08-31

Passau ist der letzte Stop der diesjährigen Linz-Europa Tour 2008 - Hubert von Goiserns musikalischer Reise entlang von Donau, Rhein und Main Richtung Westen. Nach Konzerten an der österreichischen Donau in Obermühl und in Deutschland in Deggendorf und Ulm endet damit auch das musikalische Sommerprogramm der Donau-Kampagne.

Das Abschlusskonzert findet inmitten einer einzigartigen Naturlandschaft statt. Denn die Bischofsstadt Passau liegt am südöstlichen Ende der deutschen Donau, mit spektakulärer Lage am Zufluss von Inn und Ilz zur Donau. Oberhalb schließt sich der letzte längere ungestaute deutsche Donauabschnitt, der Bereich zwischen Straubing und Vilshofen, an. Im ungestauten Abschnitt hat sich ein lebendiger Fluss erhalten, an dem die Aue noch im Takt von Niedrig- und Hochwasser „atmet" und gedeiht. Das Naturschutzgebiet „Isarmündung", etwa 40 km oberhalb von Passau, ist mit gut 800 ha Größe eines der bedeutendsten Auegebiete Deutschlands.

Der Wert des frei fließenden Flusses zeigt sich in der überragenden Naturausstattung: im ungestauten Flussabschnitt leben noch etwa 50 verschiedene Fischarten, einige wie die Donaubarsche Zingel, Streber und Schrätzer kommen nur hier und in anderen fließenden Abschnitten der Donau vor; Fluss und Aue werden von etwa 140 verschiedenen Muschel- und Schneckenarten besiedelt – kein Auegebiete in Mitteleuropa übertrifft diese Artenvielfalt. Und auf einem Promille der Landesfläche Bayerns konnten etwa 2/3 der bayerischen Brutvögel (also 115 verschiedene Arten, davon 79 auf der Roten Liste) nachgewiesen werden. Das niederbayerische Vorkommen des Blaukehlchens beispielsweise bildet den weltweiten Schwerpunkt der Population – die Region trägt somit globale Verantwortung für diese Art. Die naturnahe Landschaft hat sich bis heute erhalten – obwohl in der Region Spuren menschlicher Siedlungstätigkeit durchgängig bis in die Steinzeit verfolgt werden können.

Die außergewöhnliche biologische Vielfalt würde durch die vor allem von der bayerischen Staatsregierung geforderten Verbauung der Donau mit einer (bzw. später drei) Staustufen zerstört. Bis zum Jahr 2010 sollen für 33 Mio Euro weitere Untersuchungen durchgeführt und Gutachten erstellt werden – auch für die Staustufenvariante, obwohl der deutsche Bundestag bereits 2002 nach sechsjährigen intensiven Untersuchungen beschlossen hat, auf den Stau zu verzichten.

Die betroffene Region wehrt sich seit mehreren Jahrzehnten erfolgreich und mit phantasievollen Aktionen, Schifffahrten, Kanudemos, Donaufesten u.ä. gegen die Ausbaupläne. Die Initiativen und Verbände fordern, statt der Verbauung der Donau die Landschaft zwischen Straubing und Vilshofen zusammen mit den Donaustädten Passau und Regensburg bei der UNESCO zur Anerkennung als Weltnatur- und Kulturerbe vorzuschlagen.

Sommer Update zur Donau-Kampagne

2008-08-01

Ungewissheit in Rumänien und Bulgarien

Das Schifffahrtsprojekts entlang der Rumänischen Donau zwischen den Städten Calarasi und Braila steht kurz vor der Umsetzung. Durch das Projekt droht nicht nur die Blockade bedeutender Störwanderrouten, einer Spezies die kurz vor der Ausrottung steht, sondern auch die Zerstörung wertvollster Naturgebiete von EU-weiter Bedeutung. Im Januar wurde ein stufenweises Verfahren beschlossen. Ein Monitoringprogramm soll dabei die Projektauswirkungen vor, während und nach Abschluß der Bauarbeiten überwachen und evaluieren. Ob dieser Ansatz einen akzeptablen Schutz der Naturschätze gewährleistet, hängt von Konzept und Umsetzung des Monitoringprogramms ab.

Der WWF und andere Organisationen haben Stellungnahmen bezüglich der Monitoringanforderungen unterbreitet. Das Auschreibungsverfahren für die Bauarbeiten und das Monitoringprogramm ist derzeit noch im Laufen. Der WWF wird das Verfahren weiterhin genau beobachten und erwartet sich einen qualitativ hochwertigen Monitoringplan entsprechend der Empfehlungen der Internationalen Kommission zum Schutz der Donau (IKSD), der Internationalen Arbeitsgemeinschaft Donauforschung (IAD) und des WWF.

Nicht weit entfernt auf der Unteren Donau - zwischen Rumänien und Bulgarien - schreitet ein zweites Schifffahrtsprojekt voran. Bedroht ist unter anderem die Region um die Donauinseln Batin und Belene - Heimat zahlreicher Vogel- und anderer Tierarten. Die Machbarkeitsstudie zur Verbesserung der Schifffahrt soll im Jänner 2009, die Umweltverträglichkeitsprüfung im August 2009 abgeschlossen werden. Noch für September 2008 ist ein technischer Workshop geplant. Der WWF freut sich schon auf die Teilnahme und die Möglichkeit ökologische Verbesserungsvorschläge für Design und Umsetzung des Projekts einbringen zu können.

Hoffnung für das Donau Delta?

In der Ukraine wurden die geplanten Bauarbeiten für die Phase II des Bystroye Kanals, einem Schifffahrtskanal direkt durch das Herz des Donau Deltas zum Schwarzen Meer, vorübergehend gestoppt. Entscheidend war die Tagung der ESPOO-Konvention im Mai 2008. Die Konvention beschäftigt sich mit Umweltauswirkungen bei grenzüberschreitenden Projekten und bewertete die Vorgehensweise der Ukraine als Verstoß gegen die Auflagen der Konvention. Besonders kritisiert wurde der fehlende Einbezug der rumänischen Regierung und Öffentlichkeit. Die ukrainische Regierung verpflichtete sich die Arbeiten einzufrieren bis alle Umweltauflagen erfüllt sind. Die Frist dafür läuft bis Ende Oktober 2008.

Nicht akzeptiert wurden von der Ukraine die Empfehlungen jegliche Arbeiten am Kanal zu unterlassen. Da der Kanal rasch versandet, werden laufend Instandhaltungsgrabungen durchgeführt. Der WWF ist äußerst besorgt über weitere Bauarbeiten im weltweit einzigartigen Donau Delta. Eine von der Naturschutzorganisation beauftragte Studie bietet Alternativen zur Verbesserung der Schifffahrtbedingungen im ukrainischen Delta mit weitaus geringeren ökologischen und grenzüberschreitenden Auswirkungen. Die Studie wird im Herbst 2008 veröffentlicht.

Übereilte Maßnahmen bedrohen die Donau in Ungarn

Die ungarische Regierung plant mit der Verbesserung der Schifffahrtsbedingungen entlang der 380 km langen ungarischen Donaustrecke fortzufahren. Grundlage für die Maßnahmen soll eine im Herbst 2007 abgeschlossene Machbarkeitsstudie sein, die aber bei weitem nicht alle Alternativen einschließt. Im Frühling 2008 wurde eine neue Ausschreibung für den technischen Plan veröffentlicht.

Gleichzeitig bezeichnete die Europäische Kommission die Studie als unzureichend. Laut den Generaldirektionen für Verkehr und Umwelt wird Ungarn keine Unterstützung seitens der EU erhalten, solange nicht eine angemessene Strategische Umweltprüfung durchgeführt wird. Auch müssen mögliche Auswirkungen auf den Gewässerzustand und die angrenzenden Auen entsprechend der europäischen Wasserrahmenrichtlinie bewertet werden.

Die geplante Vorgehensweise der ungarischen Regierung, ohne umfassende Daten zu Projektauswirkungen und -alternativen, stimmen WWF und Partner äußerst bedenklich. Die Maßnahmen sind nicht nur übereilt, sondern befolgen auch grundlegende EU Richtlinien nicht.

Letzte frei fließende Donaustrecke in Deutschland unter Beschuss

Die Diskussionen um die Errichtung von Staustufen im letzten längeren freifließenden Donauabschnitt in Deutschland – der Strecke zwischen Straubing und Vilshofen in Bayern – nehmen wieder bedrohliche Ausmaße an. Und das obwohl der deutsche Bundestag bereits 2002 nach sechsjährigen intensiven Untersuchungen beschlossen hat, die Fahrwassertiefe der Donau zwischen Straubing und Vilshofen ohne Staustufen zu verbessern. Bis 2010 sollen aber nun für 33 Mio. Euro weitere Untersuchungen durchgeführt und Gutachten erstellt werden – auch für eine Staustufenvariante.

Bedroht ist eine außergewöhnliche biologische Vielfalt. Die betroffene Region wehrt sich seit mehreren Jahrzehnten erfolgreich und mit phantasievollen Aktionen, Schifffahrten, Kanudemos, Donaufesten u.ä. gegen die Ausbaupläne. Die Initiativen und Verbände fordern, statt der Verbauung der Donau die Landschaft zwischen Straubing und Vilshofen zusammen mit den Donaustädten Passau und Regensburg bei der UNESCO zur Anerkennung als Weltnatur- und Kulturerbe vorzuschlagen.

Sommerpause östlich von Wien

Das Umweltverträglichkeitsverfahren für das Donauausbauprojekt östlich von Wien, wo die Donau durch den Donau-Auen Nationalpark fließt, ist im Gange. Bis Ende Jänner 2008 lag die Umweltverträglichkeitsprüfung zur öffentlichen Einsichtnahme auf. Der WWF, andere Organisationen und Bürgerinitiativen haben Ihre Einwendungen vorgelegt. Denn obwohl ökologische Ausgleichsmaßnahmen und das Einbinden von Umweltexperten geplant wurden, lässt die Umweltverträglichkeitsprüfung noch entscheidende Fragen offen. Besonderns besorgt ist der WWF über die Tiefenvorgabe von 2,8 Meter, von der eine negative Signalwirkung für einen weiteren Ausbau der Donau stromabwärts ausgeht. Die öffentlich zugängliche mündliche Verhandlung ist für Herbst 2008 angesetzt. Danach wird sich zeigen, inwieweit die Bedenken der Umweltschutzorganisationen berücksichtigt werden.

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Danube Campaign summer update

2008-08-01

Trembling uncertainty in Romania and Bulgaria

The Romanian project for improving navigation between Calarasi and Braila is on the brink of implementation. The project would cut off important migration routes for Danube sturgeon as well as destroy nature areas of European importance. In January, a step-by-step approach was agreed involving close monitoring and evaluation of impacts before, during and after construction. Whether this measure is acceptable for safeguarding the nature depends on the final design and implementation of the monitoring program. WWF and other organizations have submitted comments on the monitoring requirements.

At present, the tender for the construction works and the monitoring program is pending. WWF is closely watching the procedures and expects a high quality design and implementation of the monitoring plan, recommended by the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR), the International Association for Danube Research (IAD) and WWF.

Not far away on the Lower Danube between Romania and Bulgaria, preparations for another navigation project are moving forward. Affected will be, amongst others, areas around Belene and Batin Islands that are especially valuable for birds and other species. The project's feasibility study will be conducted by January 2009; the EIA is expected to be finished in August 2009. In September 2008 a technical workshop is planned to take place. WWF is looking forward to participate in this workshop and to propose possible ecological improvements to the project's design and implementation.

Hope for the Danube Delta?

In the Ukraine, construction works for phase II of the Bystroye canal, a deep-water canal right through the heart of the Danube Delta to the Black Sea, are temporarily stopped. Decisive were the outcomes of the fourth meeting of Parties of the Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Trans-boundary Context (so-called "Espoo Convention") in May 2008. It was stated that the Ukraine did not follow the requirements of the Convention, particularly in assuring the proper involvement of the Romanian authorities and public in the procedures of the Environmental Impact Assessment. The Ukrainian government will suspend the works until its full compliance with the Convention. Suggestions for improvement can be submitted until end of October.

Nevertheless, the canal's maintenance works are ongoing, as the canal quickly silts up. WWF is deeply concerned over continued construction works in the globally important Danube Delta, shared by Ukraine and Romania. A study commissioned by WWF, to be released in autumn 2008, will help identify alternative options for promoting shipping in the Ukrainian Delta that have less severe environmental and trans-boundary impacts.

Hasty actions threaten the Hungarian Danube

The Hungarian government plans to proceed in improving navigation conditions along the 380 km stretch of the Hungarian Danube. Activities will be based on a feasibility study that was completed in autumn 2007, although it does not examine all alternatives. In spring 2008 a new tender for the technical plan was published.

At the same time the European Commission marked the study insufficient. According to the Directorates-General for Transport and Environment, Hungary won't receive any EU funds without conducting a proper Strategic Environmental Assessment and assessing the hydromorphological changes in the riverbed according to the Water Framework Directive.

WWF and others are strongly concerned about the government's plans to move forward without comprehensive data about the project's impacts and alternatives. Not only are the planned next steps hasty and without profound scientific basis, but they also do not follow basic EU Directives, such as Water Framework and Habitats Directives.

Rehashed discussions along the German Danube

In Germany, the discussions about the construction of dams on the last free-flowing Danube stretch – the section between Straubing and Vilshofen – assume alarming proportions, even though the German Parliament decided to improve navigation conditions on this stretch without dams already in 2002 – after an intensive six-year investigation. But now, new investigations shall be conducted until 2010. The 33 million EUR project is supposed to supply reports, including those considering alternatives with dams. Extraordinary biodiversity will be threatened.

For decades, the concerned regions successfully resisted the river regulation projects. Instead of regulating the Danube, associations and initiatives request to propose the landscape between Straubing and Vilshofen together with the Danube cities of Passau and Regensburg for inclusion in the UNESCO's World Heritage List.

Waiting for next steps in Austria

The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process for improving navigation conditions between Vienna and Bratislava is ongoing. Here the Danube flows through the Danube Floodplain National Park. The EIA was open for consultation until the end of January 2008. WWF, other organizations and citizens' initiatives submitted objections and comments. Although ecological compensatory measures and the integration of scientists were planned, the EIA leaves essential questions unanswered. Moreover WWF and others are concerned about the negative example this project is likely to set. If the Danube is deepened between Vienna and Bratislava this could lead to a domino effect; stretches downstream would be deepened as well.
The public hearing is planned to take place in autumn 2008. It remains to be seen, to what extent the raised concerns will be taken into account.

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