On 10–11 December 2025, DANUBEPARKS Association participated as a formal Observer in the 28th Ordinary Meeting of the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR), held in Vienna, Austria.
As an Observer organisation, DANUBEPARKS regularly follows the policy discussions and strategic developments shaping the future management of the Danube River Basin. This year’s meeting was particularly relevant due to two key developments of direct importance to our work.
First, the Joint Statement on Navigation was formally adopted by the Danube, Sava and ICPDR Commissions. DANUBEPARKS and the Danube WILDisland Ramsar Regional Initiative actively contributed to the development of this document through written comments and technical input, and welcome its adoption as an important step towards better integration of navigation, ecological connectivity and river restoration objectives at the basin level.
Second, we closely follow the updates on the Joint Danube Survey V5 (JDS), which remains the most comprehensive transboundary monitoring initiative in the basin and a cornerstone for evidence-based river basin management under the EU Water Framework Directive.
Although the WILDisland RRI was not part of the formal programme this year, we continue to be closely involved in several ICPDR-related processes. In particular, the WILDisland project contributes to the preparation of Danube Day celebrations, especially in Austria and plays an active role in linking ICPDR activities with the Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar). In 2025, we represented the Danube WILDisland Ramsar Regional Initiative at Ramsar CoP15, further strengthening the connection between basin-level water governance and international wetland conservation efforts. ICPDR acts as the host of the Danube WILDisland RRI, making this cooperation especially relevant.
DANUBEPARKS thanks the ICPDR Secretariat for the invitation and looks forward to continuing its constructive cooperation in support of integrated, ecologically sound management of the Danube River Basin!