For information only – not an official document
UNIS/OUS/429
29 June 2022
VIENNA, 29 June (UN Information Service) – A range of events and activities are taking place in the 14 Danube River countries to mark the 2022 Danube Day. Due to the easing of many COVID-19 restrictions, the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR) is delighted that they can celebrate the day with activities to #DiscoverDanube again this year.
Every year, Danube Day invites the 79 million people living in 14 Danube River countries to celebrate the day. While the 2020 and 2021 Danube Day celebrations had to accommodate COVID-19 safety restrictions by holding online events, this year will see the return of outdoor events throughout several Danube countries. A variety of online activities will also take place, including short films, online games, video conferences and much more.
The theme this year is “Discover Danube”, inspired by the 4th Joint Danube Survey (JDS4), one of the world’s most comprehensive surface water monitoring efforts. The findings of JDS4, first published in 2021, have been disseminated throughout the Danube River Basin to inform the public about vital data gathered on water quality across the entire length of the Danube River and its major tributaries.
First celebrated in 2004, Danube Day was created in commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the signing of the 1994 Danube River Protection Convention in Sofia, Bulgaria. It celebrates the Danube, the rivers that flow into it and their vital role in providing water, food, power, recreation and livelihoods.
During its 19 years, Danube Day has grown to become the world’s largest international river festival, populating riverbanks with events and activities from the Black Forest to the Black Sea to celebrate the Danube’s cultural diversity. At the international level, events are coordinated by the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR) from the Permanent Secretariat in Vienna, Austria. Under the umbrella of the ICPDR, member countries and partners organize events at the national level, putting to use their local knowledge side-by-side with international cooperation.
The ICPDR 2022 President, Róbert–Eugen Szép of Romania, said: “While ICPDR Member States continue to face various circumstances, the ICPDR is an institution that continues to represent their shared priorities and aims. Today on Danube Day, not only do we celebrate the livelihoods of the Danube but the relationships between the Danube members and communities, all of which rely on one another.”
The International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR) comprises 15 Contracting Parties. Since its establishment in 1998, it has grown into one of the largest and most active international bodies engaged in river basin management in Europe. Its activities relate not only to the Danube River but also to the tributaries and groundwater resources of the entire Danube River Basin, with additional close links with the Black Sea.
For more information regarding Danube Day 2022 and events, please visit www.danubeday.org and www.icpdr.org.
* *** *
For further information, please contact:
Hélène Masliah-Gilkarov
Public Participation and Communication
ICPDR Secretariat at UNOV
Telephone: (+43-1) 26060-4373
Fax: (+43-1) 26060-5895
Mobile: (+43 676) 845 200 220
Email: helene.masliah-gilkarov[at]icpdr.org
Web: www.icpdr.org
