Held annually, Danube Day celebrates the Danube and the rivers that flow into it, and the vital role they play in providing water, food, recreation and livelihood. It also commemorates the anniversary of the signing of the Danube River Protection Convention (1994). As with every 29 June, more than eighty million people in the 14 Danube countries are invited to celebrate Danube Day, to learn about the waters, to experience the river, and to #DiscoverDanube.

Wetlands, Water and Life

Up to 87% of global wetlands have been lost in the past 300 years, 1/3 of those just since 1970. This loss has significantly contributed to the huge loss of species populations over the same period. Also the Danube and its main tributaries have seen 80% of their wetlands disappear over the past 150 years and river flows are also interrupted. Damage to the river has mainly been caused by diking, river regulation and damming to meet the needs of hydroelectric power, navigation, agriculture and flood prevention projects.

‘Freshwater habitats provide a host of valuable goods and services, from important nurseries for fish to water regulation and purification, yet they are among the most threatened habitats worldwide.’ – Irene Lucius, Regional Conservation Director, WWF Central and Eastern Europe

The Living Danube Partnership (LDP) between WWF-CEE, The Coca-Cola Foundation and International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR) was established to show the benefits of restoration and working with nature.

‘The Living Danube Partnership is living proof that working together is vital if we are to safeguard the supply of water in the EU, and stop and reverse the decline of biodiversity and tackle climate change’. – Sofia Kilifi, Sustainability Manager Europe, The Coca-Cola Company

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Celebrating Our Achievements on Danube Day

The Partnership has supported nine restoration projects across six countries (Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Romania and Bulgaria) and identified further sites for future restoration. The projects are concentrated in and thus contribute to realising the Lower Danube Green Corridor (shared by Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova and Ukraine); and the Mura-Drava-Danube Transboundary Biosphere Reserve (shared by Austria, Slovenia, Hungary, Croatia and Serbia).

Final Report on the Living Danube Partnership here.