Water issues affecting the Danube River: socio-economic, political and environmental challenges (stakeholder: International Association for Danube Research)Īfter completing the course, the student will be able to:.Global water issues and interlinks with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (water scarcity, water quality, hydropower, industrial wastewaters, ground water resources).Field research activity (face-to-face) will include field and laboratory activities, data analysis, results interpretation and science communication.Field strategies and related issues (online) will include description of the site and its heterogeneity, sampling strategies, methodologies, measured parameters: physical – pH, conductivity, oxygen, temperature chemical: N species (total – organic, inorganic), organic C (organic matter) metals biological: invasive plant species, zoobenthos, microbial communities, pathogens geomorphology, landscape and soil evolution GIS in field mapping.The program objective is to equip students with the knowledge and skills needed to find answers to the environmental issues. The students will learn and collaborate together to develop their knowledge, skills and critical thinking needed for addressing environmental challenges. In this program, the students will be involved in experience-based activities which include travel to research sites along the Danube River basin and laboratory work, that will enable them to reflect and advocate on environmental sustainability problems. The enrolled students will first participate in an online pre-field course followed by one week of field research activity, and then they will complete an online post-field course. Often, these activities are best-practice initiatives for the management of Natura 2000 sites.The program consists of two interconnected activities, online and on-site, in Delta Danube (University of Bucharest). National Parks, Biosphere Reserves, and other Danube Protected Areas play a leading role in the conservation and restoration of habitats and species. On top of this, problems from pollution endanger its rich biodiversity and extensive land changes cause floods and droughts in many places. In recent decades, many dams and locks were built that interrupt the natural flow of the river on its majestic journey to the Black Sea. Only The Great Barrier Reef in Australia and Galapagos Island have greater biodiversity.Īlthough the Danube is widely known as the “Blue Danube”, its water is far from being blue in most places. With over 5,500 flora & fauna species, spreading on over 5,050 km2 of marshes, canals, reed islets, and lakes, Danube Delta is the third place in the world regarding biodiversity. When the River transforms into the Danube Delta it becomes one of the world's largest wetlands, featuring 30 different types of ecosystem. Over 2.000 plant and 5.000 animal species live in or by the waters of the Danube. The European Commission recognizes the Danube as the “most important non-oceanic body of water in Europe” and a “future central axis for the European Union”.ĭue to its large area and very diverse habitats, the Danube River is one of the most important natural treasures of Europe and a backbone for biodiversity conservation. So, transport along the river not only provides jobs but provides a greener alternative to roads.
It crosses 10 countries: Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova, and Ukraine. It is the single most international river in the world, affecting more nations than any other river. The Danube basin includes the territories of 19 countries and is home to more than 83 million people with a wide range of cultures, languages, and historical backgrounds. The Danube then flows eastward, passing through several Central and Eastern European capitals before emptying into the Black Sea via the Danube Delta in Romania and Ukraine. It originates in Germany's Black Forest as the much smaller Brigach and Breg rivers join in the town of Donaueschingen. The Danube is the only eastbound river in Europe. Its basin area covers more than 800,000 km2 or 10% of Europe's surface. With 2,857 km in length, the Danube is the second-longest river in Europe (after the Volga river) and the longest river in the European Union. The Danube river is bringing the many countries in the Danube region together to work hand in hand with expert organizations towards a better, bluer Danube for many future generations to come.
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