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Surveying The Most International River Basin In The World

ICDPR

By IW:LEARN

October 30^th, 2019

The Joint Danube Survey is the most extensive investigation of a large river and its tributaries in the world. After the official start in June 2019 in Budapest, sampling and testing began at locations all around the Danube River Basin for the fourth JDS.

JDS4 international kick-off event in Budapest, Hungary. Credit: ICDPR

Its goal: to capture biological, chemical and water structures and to examine fish and other species.

New methods of examination have been in use, such as monitoring of environmental DNA (eDNA) and testing for microplastics, along the length of the river for the first time. The value of this river examination lies in the high quality of the data and the Danube-wide comparability of the findings.

The ICPDR has organised the Joint Danube Survey (JDS4), with renowned scientific teams, every six years since 2001. Thirteen states of the Danube River Basin, from Germany to Ukraine, cooperate on its implementation. With sampling and testing well under way, the full findings of JDS4 are expected to be released mid-2020.

The examination of invasive species – fish and other life not previously found in the Danube River Basin – will provide information about the effects of such foreign plants and animals that have moved (or were brought) into the Danube. Invasive species can pose a serious threat, therefore, so understanding this can lead to the formulation of ways to combat their spread and prevent future risk of entry into the Danube's ecosystem.

Also, specially developed tools for collecting micro-plastics will show the amount of plastic particles transported by the river. With increased concern over the amount of microplastic contamination in the Danube, and the recognition that nearly all of the Earth's water systems have been contaminated, it’s high time to secure a base-line understanding of the extent of the problem. Then, future testing can be continued to understand the developing state of the issue as years go on. These tests, as part of JDS4, will also provide vital information on the type of microplastic pollution, problem locations, possible origins and relative amounts – all of which will inform future policy decisions designed to address this troubling problem. Other key issues include a microbiology programme (under Austrian leadership), concerning itself with the potential dangers of faecal germs and antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

In addition to the targeted investigations of a number of pollutants, the technique of non-target-screenings will be put to use. Through this method, a digital fingerprint of the chemical make-up of the water will be created that will contain several tens of thousands of substances. From this fingerprint, the levels of natural and man-made substances can be ascertained, thereby providing information about the health of the river and the theoretical sources of unwanted pollutants. Samples are being taken from a total of 51 sampling locations as part of JDS4.

The goal of the Joint Danube Surveys is to fulfil the strong requirements of the EU Water Framework Directive in order to achieve good standing for all Danube River Basin waters. It is assumed from this that the findings of JDS4 will be able to reconfirm the positive trends created through the cooperative efforts of the Danube countries in recent years. The last JDS showed a consistently good water quality in the Danube for many stretches of the river and improved water quality among all of the Danube countries. The findings of JDS4 will provide an important basis for future decision-making and necessary measures all along the international length of the Danube River.

Along with all of the new methods, focuses and equipment in play for JDS4, a vigorous communications and public outreach strategy has been put in place to make information on all aspects of the Joint Danube Survey and its findings not only available to the public, but also relevant. The concept of science communications is extremely important in that it provides a bridge between scientific experts and the general public. Making sure that the public has access to scientific findings and, more importantly, understands the importance of any findings offers potentially massive positive effects for both parties.

Clean water does not mean an absence of all other substances. This is also true for river systems like the Danube. Lifestyles and business practices are reflected by the waters’ general health. On the basis of new analytical processes, a number of substance groups are detectable these days. The difference between dangerous and non-dangerous substances is what is important. Therefore, the current controls on the quality of the Danube are vital. These controls are regularly carried out in the national monitoring programmes of various Danube River Basin countries and often in cooperation with one another. Regular surveys such as this are the all-important scientific basis that makes everything else we do in the Danube River Basin possible to understand, explain – and it helps us better plan for a cleaner, healthier, and safer future.

The support provided by the GEF and the UNDP has turned the Danube into a model of integrated river basin management, enabling the ICPDR to implement the Water Framework Directive (WFD), which has now become the benchmark for European transboundary water bodies. The GEF has also supported the Commission in its philosophy of adopting a holistic approach to the pressures facing the river, including eutrophication problems caused by agricultural inputs, the importance of flood buffering attributes of riverine wetlands, and the critical need to improve tariff and charge schemes for water and sanitation systems.