WWF - WWF Hungary office

The Carpathian Convention at 10: On the map, but much left to do

2013-05-22

By Andreas Beckmann

The Carpathians turn 10 years old this month. The venerable mountains have of course been around for longer – at least 66 million years in fact. But it has been only relatively recently that the Carpathians, which stretch across seven countries in Central and Eastern Europe, have really come into focus and gained a common identity as a mountain range with unique qualities, traditions and way of life, as well as challenges shared by people living across the region.

Ten years ago, on 22 May 2003, representatives of the governments of the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, Ukraine, Romania and Serbia put their signatures to the "Framework Convention for the Protection and Sustainable Development of the Carpathians."

Over the past decade, the "Carpathian Convention," as the agreement is more often referred to, has created a common focus and framework for identity and cooperation across the region.

Record-breaking agreement

The idea for the convention was first broached in Bucharest in 2001 at a summit of regional leaders organized by WWF and the Romanian government. Within two years, and with the support of the United Nations Environment Programme, the governments of the seven Carpathian countries had completed negotiations and inked the agreement. As far as conventions go, the Carpathian Convention was negotiated and agreed in record time.

The original framework convention has spawned a series of additional, more specific agreements between the member countries. In the past 10 years, the seven member states have adopted formal protocols on the protection of biodiversity, tourism and forests.

Implementation strategies for these protocols have been agreed or are under development. Protocols on cultural heritage and transportation are already well advanced.

Strategic guidance on adaptation to climate change is also underway and expected to be formally adopted by ministers when they meet next year. Further agreements are expected in the future, relating to agriculture, energy and regional development and spatial planning.

Paper over practice?

Critics say that, to date at least, the convention has been more about meetings and paper than actual practice. Indeed, there have been many meetings, and not all have been productive.

Even where commitments have been achieved, it is fair to ask to what extent those commitments have actually changed anything. It is simply too early to know, for example, whether the Carpathian Convention commitment to protect Europe's greatest remaining areas of virgin forest will become reality. Definitions of virgin forest will be discussed in June, to be followed then by discussion of actual protection measures to be taken.

A basic problem is that the Carpathian Convention is "soft" legislation – that is, legislation without a real bite – in contrast to EU directives and regulations, where there is the real possibility of diplomatic embarrassment and even financial fines and sanctions.

Also, while most progress has been made in terms of commitments to biodiversity protection, the key to securing this protection lies in addressing pressures in other areas, such as development of infrastructure for transportation and energy.

Habitat fragmentation is a major concern to the future of bears and other large carnivores, but so far, there has been limited progress in integrating wildlife migration corridors into transportation planning.

Similarly, the planned construction of thousands of hydropower stations across the Carpathian Mountains present an imminent threat to hundreds of streams and rivers.

Guidance for development of these projects is urgently needed to ensure that any gains in clean energy does not come at too great a cost in terms of biodiversity and other ecosystem services.

Yet it is unclear the extent to which a Carpathian Convention protocol on energy, which in any case is in the future, could address the intense pressure from investors and related political interests.

A common home

But even relatively blunt tools can be effective – for example in focusing efforts, and mobilizing cooperation and resources.

The Carpathian Convention has spawned networks of cooperation across the mountain range. Recently, 140 protected area managers and supporters came together to meet, inspire and learn from one another. Across the Carpathians, protected area managers do important work, safeguarding many of Europe's greatest natural treasures.

Indeed, over the years, a community of people and organizations has developed around and in support of the Carpathian Mountains, from government authorities to international organizations like the United Nations Environmental Programme, which currently leads the secretariat, and non-profit organizations like WWF.

Cooperation has been fostered not only across the Carpathians, but also to the Alps, with a strong partnership with the Alpine Network of Protected Areas, and the European Academy in Bolzano, an Alpine think-tank that has been giving strong support to the Carpathian Convention secretariat.

Also not to be underestimated is the importance of creating an identity and idea, and networking behind it. Ten years ago, no one spoke of the Carpathians or saw them as one range of mountains shared by different countries. Differences prevailed over things in common.

Over the past decade, this has clearly changed. The Carpathians today have become a term like the Alps, a badge of identity and pride for the countries and the people living in these areas.

Nevertheless, the Carpathian Mountains are an area of extraordinary qualities and treasures, part of WWF's Green Heart of Europe initiative, and those treasures are being lost. The extent to which they survive will be the ultimate test for the convention. A good start has been made, but much remains to be done.

Andreas Beckmann is director of the WWF Danube-Carpathian Programme, which has been closely involved in the development of the Carpathian Convention.

Learn more about the Carpathian Convention at: http://www.carpathianconvention.org/

WWF Appeal for a more sustainable Europe - Open letter to EU leaders

2012-11-15

In the run-up to decisionmaking on the next EU financial perspective for 2014-20, Europe has a chance to make ambitious political choices and define a new development model, attuned to the needs of both people and the planet. To make this possible, WWF believes we must face up now to the environmental, social and economic challenges.

In an open letter to EU decisionmakers, WWF has called upon all European heads of state and governments and the Presidents of the European Commission, the European Parliament and the European Council to commit to 10 fundamental principles as a blueprint for the sustainable growth that represents the only solution to the combined crises besetting our continent:

1. Internalise external environmental costs in government and corporate economic decision making through the routine incorporation of monetised environmental pollution and resource depletion accounting in economic calculations;

2. Develop environmental and social well-being indicators other than GDP. These indicators should form the basis of policy formation and decision-making, including economic adjustment programmes for economically troubled states such as Greece and Portugal;

3. Reorient the European budget 2014-20 to put an end to environmentally harmful subsidies and redirect them towards sectors of the green economy (eco-innovation, energy and resource savings, renewable energy, sustainable building, low carbon vehicles, sustainable agriculture, etc.) that are more sustainable and create more jobs. At least 25% of the next European budget should be allocated to combating and adapting to climate change, and 15% should fund the protection of biodiversity and natural resources;

4. Radically reform the Common Agricultural Policy by strengthening the rural development "pillar", half of which should be allocated to more sustainable agricultural practice, and significantly "greening" the production support "pillar" in an attempt to give it some greater legitimacy;

5. End public subsidies for high-carbon infrastructure such as air and road traffic, and instead provide support for low-carbon transport that satisfies wider environmental needs, avoids environmental damage through habitat fragmentation, and includes intelligent transport and public transport;

6. End fossil fuel subsidies and redirect them towards energy efficiency and renewable energy sources;

7. Increase funding for the EU funding programme for the environment, LIFE, to 1% of the next European budget for 2014-20 in particular to support biodiversity in Europe;

8. Strengthen rather than weaken environmental impact assessments, which are crucial to improving the efficiency of European projects and reducing the risk of accidents and negative impacts on the ground;

9. Tighten the EU's emissions reduction target from 20% to 30% by 2020 compared to 1990 levels, and achieve energy efficiency goals as well as strengthening the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS);

10. Introduce a Financial Transaction Tax to place greater controls on the financial system and generate additional public funding for ecological transition in the EU.

Largest Hungarian intact forest saved from logging

2012-08-13

Logging in Csarna-valley, the largest intact forest in Hungary, has been stopped thanks to a massive campaign organized by WWF Hungary.

Home to ancient beech and oak tress, Csarna-valley in the Duna-Ipoly National Park north of Budapest, is a strictly protected area, covering over one thousand hectares of intact forests. It is home to many endangered and rare species, such as the Eurasian lynx, Black stork and Imperial eagle. Intact forests are areas mostly untouched by humans and important for safeguarding biodiversity, as only sufficiently large areas can conserve populations of large animals in their natural state.

A state owned forest company had planned to carry out logging in the heart of the forest against the will of the Duna-Ipoly National Park Directorate, which is in charge of the protected area.

„Csarna-valley was about to suffer because of general management problems and the lack of zonation typical of all national parks in Hungary", said Alexa Antal, Communications Officer at WWF Hungary. „We had to act, we had no choice. In three short months we reached over 7 million people with our message to save this intact forest, home of the lynx, and pushed decision-makers to make a favourable decision."

180 environmental organizations supported WWF's petition to stop logging in Csarna-valley. 5000 individuals signed WWF's petition within four days.

„We also reached another important goal. We raised awareness of the need to establish zoning in all Hungarian national parks. Zoning makes certain areas no-go areas and allows sustainable management in other areas. With zoning in place, you would never be allowed to cut down trees that are part of an age-old, intact forest", Antal said.

There are 2 million hectares of forests in Hungary, half of them natural. Large carnivores became virtually extinct in Hungary at the beginning of the 20th century. Now about 10 lynx and a dozen of wolves live in the Hungarian part of the Carpathians.

Riverwatchers to protect the "Amazon of Europe"

2012-02-01

Zagreb, Croatia - A long blue band waved by six men wearing uniforms on Zagreb's central square today marked the start of WWF's Riverwatch campaign aimed at halting destruction of Croatia's unique natural rivers: the Danube, Drava and Mura - Europe's Amazon. All three rivers are under threat from channelling works as well as from gravel and sand extraction. This poses a severe threat to unique wetlands and to Europe's largest and best preserved floodplain forests.

The Riverwatchers are volunteers who – on canoe and on foot – will patrol a total of 470 km of the rivers for at least the next two years. Riverwatchers will keep an eye not only on the Croatian stretches of the rivers, but also on Hungarian and Serbian shores as these rivers are natural borders between the three countries.

"If we find something inappropriate we will inform the Croatian government as well as the European Commission who like to know if there are activities going on which are not in line with EU law", said Tibor Mikuska from partner organization Croatian Society for the Protection of Birds and Nature, coordinator of the Riverwatch campaign.

"For the first time in Croatia and in Eastern Europe, a network of people who care about their rivers is taking action", said Arno Mohl, WWF International Freshwater Expert. "To protect successfully our rivers from destruction, it is key to monitor the situation on the ground regularly and to take action when necessary", Mohl said.

Devastating actions taken by the water authorities in Croatia as well as in Hungary and Serbia severely harm the three natural rivers and their inhabitants. The area is home to the highest density in Europe of breeding pairs of White-tailed eagle and endangered species such as the Little tern, Black stork and Ship sturgeon. It is also an important stepping stone for more than 250,000 migratory waterfowls every year. The survival of these vulnerable species depends on preserving intact the "Amazon of Europe".

In December 2011 Croatia signed the EU Accession treaty to become an EU member in 2013. This obliges Croatia to comply with EU law and to protect its unique natural rivers. In September 2011, the Danube, Drava and Mura riverine area was nominated to become part of a 5-country Transboundary UNESCO Biosphere Reserve together with Austria, Hungary, Serbia and Slovenia.

The Riverwatch campaign is being implemented in partnership with a wide range of local NGOs.

One year after the red mud disaster: WWF warns of more "ticking time bombs"

2011-10-03

Wien/Budapest: A year after the red mud disaster in Hungary, WWF warns that little has been done to prevent further such catastrophes from occurring.

"Hungary has let its presidency of the European Union pass without taking any action to defuse further ticking time bombs in Central and Eastern Europe", said Gabory Figeczky, CEO of WWF Hungary. WWF called on the European Commission to draw up an action plan to ensure the effective implementation of the EU Mining Waste Directive.

"The EU Directive, which was introduced in 2006, is in principle good, but must now be effectively implemented", said Figeckzy. "All transition periods for implementation of the Directive will run out by the end of this year and East European countries have no more time to delay implementation. EU tax payers should not be made to pay for mistakes of mining companies and relevant authorities when catastrophes like that at Ajka happen", said Andreas Beckmann of the WWF Danube-Carpathian Programme.

Extent of the disaster still visible today

On the occasion of the anniversary of the Ajka disaster, WWF has published photos and video footage of the disaster area taken from the air. The photos and video footage show that the extent of the disaster is still evident today.

WWF calls attention to the fact that there is still no mandatory insurance system for similar toxic mining waste sites. There also is no adequate control system for similar dams and facilities in the former Soviet countries of Eastern Europe. "One year after the catastrophe in Hungary and ten years after the accidents at Baia Mare and Baia Borsa in Romanai, we still do not have a clear idea how many toxic time bombs are still ticking in Eastern Europe", warned Beckmann.

A part of the €470 million fine that the Hungarian government in mid September 2011 levied on the MAL Aluminum factory should be used not only to cover the costs related to the disaster and compensation to the victims of the red mud, but also to identify other time bombs still ticking in Hungary. While the Hungarian government promised to undertake a comprehensive study of the accident, it is still unclear when this will be published. "The Hungarian population has a right to know what risks it faces from mining and old neglected deposits of toxic waste", Figeczky said.

Action Plan

WWF calls for an Action Plan to secure areas at risk not only in Hungary and other EU member states in Central and Eastern Europe, but also in other countries of the Danube-basin, like Croatia, Serbia, Moldova and Ukraine. The Action Plan should closely examine risks to people and nature from toxic waste dumps throughout the former-Communist countries of the region, including the dozens if not hundreds of toxic waste sites that have been inherited from the former regime.

Existing national legislation should be examined regarding possible gaps. Many of the sites in Central and Eastern Europe are no longer in use nor have any owner, and thus are not governed by the EU Mining Waste Directive. A clear legal framework is needed for the implementation of the EU Directive, and above all it must be clear who carries responsibility in the case of accidents and catastrophes.

The red mud disaster

On 4 October 2010 more than one million cubic meters of toxic red mud escaped from a broken reservoir at an aluminium plant at Ajka in western Hungary. The highly alkaline and toxic deluge flowed through the villages of Kolontár, Devecser and Somlóvásárhely and via the Torna, Marcal and Raba streams and rivers into the Danube. Ten people died, and 150 people were injured by the disaster. The accident destroyed a number of villages and poisoned Danube tributaries. The earth, rivers and plants are still contaminated with heavy metals from the red mud.

World's first five country protected area to conserve "Europe's Amazon"

2011-03-25

Austria, Croatia, Hungary, Serbia and Slovenia today signed a historic declaration to establish a trans-boundary UNESCO Biosphere Reserve to protect their shared nature and wildlife along the Mura, Drava and Danube rivers, "Europe's Amazon".

The declaration - signed during the Informal Ministerial Meeting within the Hungarians EU-Presidency - paves the way for creating the world's first five-country protected area and, with an overall size of about 800,000 ha, Europe's largest riverine protected area.

"This landmark cross border agreement is a powerful demonstration of a shared green vision that builds on and reinforces regional cooperation and unity in Europe," said Jim Leape, WWF International Director General.

The declaration was signed today by Mr Nikolaus Berlakovich, Mr Sándor Fazekas, Mr Oliver Dulić and Mr Roko Žarnić, the ministers responsible for environmental protection in Hungary, Serbia and Slovenia, and Mr Jasen Mesić, the minister of culture in Croatia.

Given the global importance of this outstanding commitment in initiating the trans-boundary UNESCO Biosphere Reserve between five countries, WWF today presented the five ministers with the WWF "Wild Heart of Europe" award, handed over by Andreas Beckmann, Director of the WWF Danube-Carpathian Programme and Gábor Figeczky, CEO of WWF Hungary.

"It is not only a significant step forward in protecting the region's natural treasures but serves as a striking example of how nature conservation can bring countries together," said Andreas Beckmann.

"WWF hopes the declaration signed today will accelerate the country's efforts to fully establish this critical trans-boundary protected area within the next couple of years to protect this green belt in the heart of Europe," Beckmann added.

In 2009 Croatia and Hungary signed an agreement to protect their shared biodiversity hotspot along the Mura, Drava and Danube rivers. This agreement has served as a basis for the current five-country declaration.

With rare floodplain forests, river islands, gravel banks and oxbows, the new five-country protected area spans 700 kilometres of rivers and 800,000 hectares of unique natural and cultural landscapes. The area is home to the highest density in Europe of breeding pairs of white-tailed eagle and endangered species such as the little tern, black stork, otters, beavers and sturgeons. It is also an important stepping stone for more than 250,000 migratory waterfowls every year.

"The five countries have agreed to protect an area which is one of the richest in Europe in terms of species diversity," said Arno Mohl, Project Coordinator of the "Mura-Drava-Danube" Biosphere Reserve project at WWF Austria. "Such floodplain areas can only be topped by the tropical rainforests."

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

"We trust that this agreement will end unsustainable river regulation and gravel and sand extraction projects which are still threatening this unique river ecosystem," Arno Mohl said.

WWF also hopes that no new hydropower dams will be planned for the area and the gravel excavations will not threaten river dynamics.

The new protected area was declared with the help of WWF, EuroNatur and local partner organisations such as Drava League, Green Action and DOPPS-Birdlife Slovenia.

"Since the 1990's EuroNatur has invested a great deal to foster regional cooperation to preserve the natural values of the rivers. We are very proud about the achievement of this joint commitment that will trigger transboundary regional development based on natural values of the riverine landscape", said Martin Schneider-Jacoby from EuroNatur.

The WWF project "Protecting Europe's lifeline - the creation of a Trans-Boundary Biosphere Reserve along the Danube, Drava and Mura rivers" is carried out with the support of the MAVA Foundation, Asamer Holding and The Coca Cola Company.

For further information:
Arno Mohl, Project Coordinator, Mura-Drava-Danube Biosphere Reserve, WWF Austria +43 676 83 488 300

Download the management concept for the Biosphere Reserve has already been developed by WWF and EuroNatur.

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.
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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."

www.panda.org/media for latest news and media resources

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

www.panda.org/media for latest news and media resources

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
.
"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

Plenty to celebrate but more to do as 19 nations mark Danube Day

2010-06-29

Vienna, Austria: The waltz might have celebrated a Blue Danube, but for those who lived on its banks it was the polluted and often smelly Danube.

But now, as the 83 million people in the basin of the world's most international river prepare to celebrate Danube Day, there is plenty to celebrate - the Blue Danube is on the way back, thanks to an impressive display of multilateral cooperation by the 19 Danube basin nations.

And while the water is becoming more blue, the banks are becoming more green, with world leading programs to restore wetlands and floodplains that keep the river healthy, provide natural and more effective flood mitigation, boost recreational use of the river and are playing a big part in bringing back threatened wildlife.

While the Danube boasts one of the world's key examples of river basin cooperation and some of the leading global projects in river restoration, there is still some way to go on the path to a healthy river able to face the full challenges posed by development and the looming threats of climate change.

Phillip Weller, former head of WWF's Green Danube programme and now executive secretary for the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River, is excited about the possibilities that the Danube Strateg y of the European Union offers to further create political attention and support for measures needed to restore and protect the Danube.

"I am an optimist," he said.

Read WWF's Danube Day feature, including interviews with people who have seen the oil slicks disappear, have swum the length of the river and those now restoring its living natural character..

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

100,000 Danube citizens sign petition for a living river

2010-02-16

Vienna, Austria - Today, ministers and their deputies from 14 countries of the Danube River basin - Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Montenegro, the Republic of Moldova, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Ukraine - officially adopted the Danube River Basin Management Plan for the coming five years. The plan outlines concrete measures to be implemented by the year 2015 to bring the Danube and its tributaries to ecological health and achieve sustainable water use in the Danube Basin. Seven years in the making, the plan offers real hope to revive Europe's lifeline, yet several growing pressures such as planned infrastructure projects to improve navigation, threaten to undermine this ambition.

Many infrastructure projects that governments are planning are not integrated in the Danube River Basin Management Plan, and could seriously impact the river and the ecosystem services that it provides if they go ahead as planned. Navigation projects in Hungary can aggravate the river bed incision and reduce groundwater level, while similar projects planned in the Lower Danube could push the highly threatened Danube sturgeon to extinction. Along the Upper Danube between Straubing and Vilshofen river regulation work involving the construction of a dam and a canal would destroy the last remaining free flowing section of the Danube in Germany with severe impacts on biodiversity and the water balance in the region.

"More than 100,000 citizens from Danube countries have signed our petition for balanced navigation projects" said Hubert Weiger, President of Bund Naturschutz (Friends of the Earth Germany). "This morning, we handed over this impressive proof of public concern to Danube Ministers and called upon them to step up their efforts for a living Danube."

Pressure to construct new hydropower plants also threatens the Danube. While providing a renewable source of energy, hydropower plants of all sizes, including small ones, can upset fragile river systems. Hydropower therefore needs to be planned carefully, and within a broader energy strategy that emphasises energy conservation.

The Danube River Basin Management Plan is a requirement of the European Union Water Framework Directive, the EU's ambitious water legislation that aims to achieve "good status" of Europe's freshwater ecosystems.

"The novelty of the Danube River Basin Management Plan is that it considers all impacts and goes beyond traditional water quality objectives and the pledge of constructing new water treatment plants or implementing good agricultural practices" said Andreas Beckmann, Director of WWF's Danube-Carpathian Programme. "For the first time, the tremendous impact of water infrastructure on river health is not only acknowledged but there is a real demand for action and proper integration."

Hydropower dams, flood protection dikes or groynes built to improve navigability of the river interfere with natural river dynamics and thereby reduce the diversity of habitats that river organisms need to thrive. The Plan therefore sets targets how their impacts are to be avoided or minimised through practical measures such as the construction of fish passes at hydropower plants to permit fish free movement up and down the river. Amongst a variety of recommended measures is reconnecting former side arms of the river or decommissioning flood protection dikes at certain points to recreate wetlands. The restored wetlands provide a wide array of benefits, including flood and drought management by holding and slowly releasing water, water purification through filtration, production of natural resources (e.g. fish and reeds), and they are important spawning, feeding and nesting sites.

WWF and Friends of the Earth will carefully monitor implementation of the Danube River Basin Management Plan by the Danube countries. At the same time, they will also call on EU lawmakers to continue improving the legal framework which will enable the objectives of the plan to be achieved. One of the immediate actions is the EU-wide ban on phosphates from detergents. While Danube Ministers have agreed that the phasing out of phosphates from detergents is economically feasible and would be of immediate benefit to water quality, only an EU-wide ban would have the necessary impact.

Such an iniative could become part of the EU Danube Strategy currently under development. "We hope the Danube Strategy will become the road map towards a sustainable future of the Basin," said Andreas Beckmann. "We regard the Danube River Basin Management Plan as the foundation for the Strategy. It can serve as basis for visions and activities for a green economy in the region."

EU legislation will promote green homes, green economy

2009-11-18

The new Energy Performance of Buildings Directive agreed Novemer 18, 2009 by the European Council and Parliament represents a crucial step in efforts to limit climate change, enhance energy security and generate jobs as well as a green economy in Central and Southeastern Europe.

The new legislation, which aims at realising the up to 40% in energy savings associated with the way buildings are constructed and managed, comes just weeks before the crucial global talks on climate change that are set to take place in Copenhagen in December and amidst efforts by governments in the region to stimulate job creation and flagging economies.

The recast Energy Performance of Buildings Directive will require the public sector to take the lead by owning buildings with "nearly zero" energy standards by the end of 2018. The legislation requires all new buildings to have low energy standards by 2020.

EU member states will also be required to take measures to bring existing housing stock in line with the directives, though no firm standards for this have been laid down. Member states will have to develop national plans to encourage owners to take the opportunity to install smart meters, heat pumps and heating and cooling systems using renewables.

"We are disappointed that the recast Energy Performance and Buildings Directive is weaker than the version that had been agreed by the EU Parliament, which included firm standards for renovating housing stock and tighter deadlines for implementation," said Andreas Beckmann, Director of the WWF Danube-Carpathian Programme. "That said, this legislation represents a step in the right direction for our region – for jobs, a new economy as well as for climate and the environment," Beckmann added.

Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, the Czech Republic and other countries of the region are among the most wasteful users of energy in Europe, with an intensity of energy use that is twice or more that of their Western European neighbours. The housing stock in the region is a particular problem in this respect, with old and inefficient buildings and still limited incentives for households to implement energy saving measures.

WWF and other organisations such as the Romanian Green Building Council have been promoting energy efficiency in buildings as a golden opportunity for cutting costs and climate change while promoting the creation of green jobs and a green economy.

"The costs of implementing energy efficiency and renewable energy measures are minimal as they are not cash expenditures but rather investments paid back by future, continuous energy savings," says Steven Borncamp, who heads the Romanian Green Building Council, an industry group dedicated to promoting energy and resource-efficient construction. "With proven and technologies currently available in Romania, the energy consumption in both new and old buildings can be cut by an estimated 30-50 percent without significantly increasing the upfront investment cost."

Constructing and retro-fitting energy efficient buildings is relatively low-tech but labour intensive, making it one of the leading opportunities for stimulating job creation.

"The pressure is now on the governments of Central and Southeastern Europe to transpose and implement the new EU legislation, " WWF's Beckmann said. "The sooner they get serious about this, the sooner we will begin realising the multiple benefits of energy efficiency in buildings".

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.