Today we celebrate 20 years since the announcement of the Day of the Danube River, BTA reported.
The motto of the initiative in 2024 is “To protect the Danube son”. The aim is to encourage all people living in the Danube basin to raise their awareness and be active in protecting the river and its tributaries, reports the Ministry of Environment and Water (MoEW). This year marks the 30th anniversary of the signing of the Convention on Cooperation in the Protection and Sustainable Use of the Danube River.
From the source to the delta, the river passes through several countries - Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova and Ukraine. The Danube basin occupies an area of 817,000 square meters, which stretches across 19 European countries, according to the Ministry of Education and Culture. The basin is distinguished by an extraordinary variety of ecosystems and habitats of plant and animal species, the ministry adds.
Regarding today, the Representation of the European Commission (EC) in Bulgaria noted that over 60% of the river basins in Europe are transboundary and cooperation in the field of water is a priority of the EU. A key objective of EU diplomacy in the field of water resources is to engage in the promotion of approaches to address the challenges of transboundary water management, the institution states.
In our country, every year, different events are organized on the occasion of Danube Day. Among them are concerts and exhibitions, contests, environmental actions, etc. Today, in the village of Dolni Tsibar, a cycling trip to the Danube River and presentation of information about the historical significance of the river is planned, according to the program of events presented by the Ministry of Education and Culture. The fish festival is about to take place in Kozloduy. A quiz, a creative workshop and other activities are planned to popularize information about the Danube River. In the village of Baikal, there will be a wreath-laying with a message for a clean river. There will also be waterfowl viewing with binoculars and a spotting scope. A lecture on birds will also be presented. An art event "On the banks of the River" is coming up in Ruse. In the regional city, there will also be workshops, conducting scientific experiments and fun competitive games. Events dedicated to the Danube will also take place in Tutrakan, Silistra, etc.
The hydrographic study of the Danube River with sonar continues, WWF announced – Bulgaria. The focus is on places that are potential sturgeon habitats and locations where dredging is carried out, the organization specified on Facebook.
We are doing this study to create a map that shows how much sturgeon habitat locations, protected areas and dredging locations overlap, they explained. The survey will also monitor whether there are changes along the bottom of the Danube. WWF-Bulgaria reminds us of our cause for the protection of sturgeons. We are participating in a project to create a gene bank in which we will breed sturgeon fish of local, Danube origin, and in the coming years the fish will be released into the Lower Danube, the organization explained. Experts reminded that the number of wild sturgeon is drastically decreasing as a result of overfishing, illegal trade in caviar, strong changes in the natural appearance of the river and water pollution.
Among the successful joint initiatives of the European Union and the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River is the “WePass” project, which aims to make the hydroelectric junction “Iron Gates” on the border between Serbia and Romania we pass for the Danube sturgeon, the EC Representation in our country indicates. The project restores the continuity of the rivers, making it possible for fish to migrate along the Danube from the Black Sea, adds the institution.