On International Danube Day, we hosted a joint event together with the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources, the Ministry for Communities and Territories Development, and the State Water Resources Agency. The focus was on implementing River Basin Management Plans — an essential tool for addressing complex water challenges in a systematic and transparent way.
The chosen date was no coincidence. After all, it is the Danube that represents a space of coexistence, tension, and cooperation for tens of millions of Europeans. It is where ecological value, international collaboration, agricultural infrastructure, and the daily needs of people intersect.
Marked each year on June 29, International Danube Day is dedicated to the world’s largest transboundary river basin. Its goal is to raise awareness about the Danube’s vital role in the lives of millions and the urgent need to protect it.
Ukraine is actively adopting the European model of water governance. The River Basin Management Plans for 2025-2030 are already being developed through collective efforts involving ministries, local communities, scientists, and water users.
Special attention was given to the sub-basin of the Lower Danube — a region that reveals the real challenges of integrated water management. A place where the river is shared, but the interests diverge.
“We spoke about things that usually stay behind the scenes. About how household waste from villages without sewer systems ends up in the water. How outdated treatment facilities can’t handle wastewater outflows. How unmaintained dams pose hidden risks. And how basin councils, meant to serve as platforms for cooperation, face limited mandates and political constraints,” — said Yuriy Maslov, President of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region Association and Chair of the Lower Danube Basin Council.
The event concluded with the signing of a declaration to strengthen cooperation between Basin Water Resource Administrations and Basin Councils. We believe that only through synergy between the states, communities, and experts can meaningful impact be achieved.
