International organizations

The catchment area of the Danube River

The General Directorate of Water Management takes part in the following International water related Organization:

in the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR)

Shortly about the river basin area of the Danube River

The catchment area of the Danube River is 817,000 km² where 83 million people live. The Danube River provides the primary source of drinking water for nearly 20 million people. The River flows through several cities including 4 capitals; Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest and Belgrade.

Establishing the Commission

In the 1980s, the state of water quality was a significant and serious problem in the area due to water pollution caused by domestic usage and industrial and the agricultural activities. The River has also critical importance because of the hydropower plants, the navigation, agriculture, recreation and the natural environment. At present, only the 24.7 % of the Danubian water bodies are considered to have good ecological status.

For the protection and sustainable usage of the Danube River, an agreement, called the Danube Protection Convention was undersigned in 1994.

All the countries of the Danube River Catchment Area signed the agreement such as Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Serbia, Ukraine and also the European Union.

The main aim of the Convention is that the countries who undersigned the agreement, shall cooperate in regard of the basic water management issues using all legal, administrative and technical tools for the protection of the Danube.

To reach these targets, in 1998, the International Commission for the Protection of Danube River was founded.

The goals of the ICPDR

Three key elements of the ICPDR’s management plans provide the three pillars of action that are needed for the Danube to achieve:

a Cleaner Danube – this means reducing pollution from settlements, industry and agriculture;
a Healthier Danube – this means protecting rivers as ecosystems that provide a living environment for aquatic animals and plants, as well as services for people such as drinking water and recreation;
a Safer Danube – this means a safer environment for people to live without the fear of major flood damage.

Further aims

Safeguarding and keeping the water resources of the Danube River for the future generations
Protection, preservation of the surface and groundwater and improving their water quality
Preserve natural waters with balanced nutrient supply
Preventing the risk of pollutions
Setting up healthy and sustainable water systems
Preventing any flood damages

The International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River brings together national delegates, ministry representatives, experts, NGOs and the representatives of academic world to work together in order to achieve balanced and sustainable water use in the Danube River Basin.

Since its establishment, the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River has been effective in promoting diplomatic agreements, in developing priorities and strategies to improve the status of the Danube and its tributaries.

Tools have also been formed, which play an important role in accurately establishing and improving the environmental parameters of the Danube basin:

Accident Emergency Warning System
Trans-National Monitoring Network
Danubis – Danubian Information System

The board of ICPDR:

Ordinary meeting group (preparing the political decisions)
Standing working group (supporting policy measures)
Permanent Secretariat (based in Vienna, Austria)
Water expert working groups (they are the backbone of the ICPDR and they are responsible for preparing the technical background documents along with many other tasks to do, complete)

The organization structure of ICPDR, its water expert groups and sub-working groups (source: https://www.icpdr.org/sites/default/files/nodes/documents/icpdr-organigram.pdf)

The General Directorate of Water Management (Országos Vízügyi Főigazgatóság - OVF) participates in the Water related Expert Groups of ICPDR via its water experts. The General Directorate's experts are active members of 7 expert working groups, 2 task groups and the Tisza Group. Also, one of emloyees of the Directorate is the delegation member of Hungary. All parts of ICPDR are working at a high level to protect the Danube.

ICPDR Expert Working Groups

The Expert Working Groups are the key of the success of the ICPDR and its operational backbone. The Working Groups consist of the experts from the Contracting Parties (signatory Member States) and representatives of ICPDR observer organisations. Eight expert working groups cover specific areas of water related fields and make recommendations to the ICPDR and in seven of which involve experts from the OVF.

Name, basic tasks and website of the organisation coordinating the work of the ICPDR

Coordination, management

Name: ICPDR Permanent Secretariat

Basic role: The decision making body of the ICPDR

Website: https://www.icpdr.org/main/icpdr/permanent-secretariat

Name, basic tasks and website of the Expert Groups:

Flood Prevention Expert Group (FP EG)

Core tasks: coordinating and monitoring the implementation of the EU Floods Directive in regard of the Danube River Basin, providing data for the production of the Danube River Basin Flood Hazard and Risk Map, providing texts for various work packages.

Website: http://www.icpdr.org/main/icpdr/flood-protection-expert-group

River Basin Expert Group (RBM EG)

Core tasks: coordinating the preparation of the River Basin Management Plan of the Danube basin (DRBMP), and finalising the plan based on feedback from expert working groups and delegations from member countries.

Website: https://www.icpdr.org/main/icpdr/river-basin-management-expert-group

Accident Prevention & Control Expert Group (APC EG)

Core tasks:

operation of the Danube alarm system (DAEWS)
accident prevention
risk management in relation to water quality damages
preparation of the DRBMP, i.e. the Danube River Basin Management Plan

Website: https://www.icpdr.org/main/icpdr/monitoring-assessment-expert-group

Information Management and Geographical Information System (GIS) Expert Group (IMGIS-EG)

Core tasks:

development and operation of DanubeGIS; data collection and mapping at Danube River basin level for ICPDR reports
providing data on request
harmonisation of national data sets
geographical information support to several Expert Working Groups (EG) and Task Groups (TG)

Website: https://www.icpdr.org/main/icpdr/information-management-gis-expert-group

Monitoring and Assessment Expert Group (MA EG)

Core tasks: water quality assessment issues, including the assessment of ecological and chemical status according to the Water Framework Directive (WFD), the implementation and assessment of the Joint Danube Survey (JDS).

Website: https://www.icpdr.org/main/icpdr/monitoring-assessment-expert-group

Pollution Management Expert Group (PM EG) – previously Pressures and Measures Expert Group

Core tasks: to identify the causes of pollution affecting the Danube River basin and to take measures to reduce and manage pollution pressures. To harmonise the work of the ICPDR with EU directives.

The Task Groups (TGs) consist of national experts from ICPDR Parties and representatives of monitoring organisations. These topic-specific Task Groups report to the Expert Groups and thus provide valuable input to the work of the ICPDR. There are currently four such task forces; sub-surface, nutrient, economic and hydromorphology, which of OVF experts participating in the Nutrient and Hydromorphology sub-task group and providing data to the Sub-surface sub-task group.

Website: https://www.icpdr.org/about-icpdr/organisation/expert-task-groups/pressures-measures-eg

Public Participation (PP-EG)

Core tasks: communicating the ICPDR's activities to the public, organising awareness-raising calls.

Website: https://www.icpdr.org/main/activities-projects/public-participation

Tisza Group

Core task: supporting the international coordination of Tisza River within the activity of the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR).

Website: https://www.icpdr.org/main/activities-projects/tisza-group

Task Group

Hydromorphology Task group (HYMO TG)

Core tasks: providing input to the preparation of the Danube basin-wide River Basin Plans (RBPs) in connection to hydromorphology based on national progress and results, and monitoring projects on hydromorphology at the Danube basin level. It reports to the Monitoring and Assessment Working Group.

Website: https://www.icpdr.org/main/icpdr/task-groups

Nutriens Task Group

Core tasks: liaising with and reports to the Pressure and Measures Expert Group. The Nutrient Working Group deals with the implementation of measures related to nutrient reduction and harmonizing the work of the ICPDR with the EU regulations such as the Urban Wastewater Treatment (UWWT) Directive or the Nitrates Directive with agricultural regulations such as the CAP (Common Agricultural Policy).

Source and more information on the official website of ICPDR: