Untitled Document
Shipping
Current approaches to promoting shipping on the Danube focus on fitting the river to the ships rather than the ship to the rivers -- at enormous and ultimately unnecessary financial and environmental cost.


Danube Campaign


Living river -- or transport canal?

Old-fashioned river engineering projects put forward by national governments and supported by the European Union could transform our living Danube into little more than a shipping canal.

Over 1,000 km of the Danube could be artificially deepened, regulated, or dammed, destroying many of Europe’s last great river landscapes and wetlands, including the myriad of benefits and services they provide, from drinking water to fish, tourism and recreation. 

Transportation is one important use of our river – but not the only one. We want a living river, not just a canal. Fit the ships to the river, not the river to the ships!



Campaign news


 
Participants of Sustainable Navigation Workshop, Ruse, Bulgaria

09 Oct 2009
NGOs join forces to save a living Danube threatened by inland navigation plans
Ruse – The most prominent environmental NGOs active in the Danube basin stand united in their opposition to plans that aim at improving inland navigation at the expense of nature and local economies. On the occasion of an international workshop taking place on the banks of the Danube River in Ruse, Bulgaria, sponsored by WWF, the global conservation organisation, and IAD, the International Association for Danube Research, NGOs adopted their common position “Save the Danube as a lifeline! Steps towards sustainable navigation” and discussed with local and park authorities as well as scientists recent findings and how to cooperate further on the issue.
» Read more

 
Floodplains of the Danube in Croatia illustrate that Croatia and Hungary signed a declaration to establish a Trans-Boundary UNESCO Biosphere Reserve that will protect their shared biodiversity hotspot along the Mura, Drava and Danube Rivers.

16 Sep 2009
Croatia and Hungary to establish Europe´s largest river protected area - 20 years after the fall of the Iron Curtain
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.


» Read more

 
For centuries, Danube fish and other wildlife have been a source of food and livelihoods.

28 Jun 2009
Danube Day -- fears amidst the celebrations
Amidst this year's celebrations of Danube Day, WWF is concerned about persisting threats to the Danube as a living river. Government and EU plans to remove “bottlenecks” for navigation could impact up to 1,000 km of the river’s most natural sections. » Read more

The Danube: living river or transport canal? Green = areas of high ecological value; Red = EU priority sections ("bottlenecks") for inland navigation (TEN-T); Brown = other navigation projects (supported e.g. by EU ISPA programme and by Ukrainian Government).
Click here to see which sections of the river are most threatened
Sign the petition!

Watch Campaign videos

Listen to WWF's Wild Talk: Hubert von Goisem tells why he went singing and sailing along the Danube

The Danube Delta is one of the most valuable natural areas on earth, including the world's largest reed beds and a globally important resting and breeding place for birds.
Heavy navigation threatens the Danube River ecosystem. Barge navigating along the Danube River, Slovakia.

Photogallery

Hubert von Goisern and WWF members on tourboat

Stories and photos from the Danube Campaign 2007


design & technology by getunik.com