INTERNATIONAL DANUBE DAY 2018 – LET’S ACT TOGETHER! REGISTRATION OPENED
On the 29th of June each year, the 14 countries of the Danube Basin jointly celebrate one of Europe’s greatest river systems. It was first celebrated by the ICPDR in 2004 to highlight the 10th anniversary of the signing of the Danube River Protection Convention. Through the joint effort of different organizations, the celebration of Danube Day throughout the Danube River Basin became an annual event, paying tribute the Danube and the rivers that flow into it.
Related to the basin-wide celebration EUSDR PA4 (Water quality) and PA5 (Environmental risks) Hungarian coordination decided, that 28 June 2018 is going to be a day dedicated to stop plastic floods in the form of an international workshop and roundtable discussion taking place in Budapest, accompanied by PLASTIC Cup and Trash Art exhibition.
Empty plastic bottles and other waste dumped year by year on the river banks in the upstream region and flushed downstream during flood events cause severe pollution, which is highly visible in curtains of plastic on riparian vegetation. Moreover, plastic waste is buried on the floodplains by fluvial sediments, with microparticulation posing an invisible threat both to wildlife and humans. Signs of these sorts of pollution are intensely present throughout the whole Tisza basin. They also reach the main Danube River, where plastic waste can be observed in the main protected areas of the Danube Delta and has an impact on the Black Sea environment as well, which has resulted in cross-border complaints from downstream countries.
Source: https://petkupa.hu/eng/plastic-tsunami.html
Despite of worldwide awareness of the problems above, there is a lack of effective and well-organised actions. Therefore the Danube Day event, supported by the DTP JOINTISZA project, aims to call attention to the mounting problems of plastic waste pollution in line with offering a networking platform in policy and NGO level to find joint solutions for the emerging waste problem. As a follow-up outcome of the event the intention is to draft possible solutions and outline measures in the updated Integrated Tisza River Basin Management Plan, which is now under development in the frame of the DTP JOINTISZA project.
Following the presentation of experts coming from Austria, Hungary, Slovenia, Ukraine, or representing the IUCN a roundtable discussion will take place involving also the registered participants. At the end ‘Message in the bottle’ a brand new documentary or nature film will be displayed.
Participation is free of charge, but preliminary registration is required. Registration is open until 20 June 2018. Please bear in mind that capacity is limited up to 80 participants.
Here you can access the Concept & Draft Agenda of the event and the registration form as well.
If you are interested in other events of the Danube Day 2018 organized in one of the 14 Danube countries please visit its official website.
