• The Fifth Joint Danube Study marks a new milestone in international water cooperation

The fifth edition of the Joint Danube Study (JDS) officially launched on 1 June 2025 in Vienna. The Joint Danube Study takes place every six years. This year, it builds on the legacy of previous editions and brings together experts from the entire Danube basin and beyond. It is the largest scientific analysis of Europe’s second longest river.

“The protection of the Danube and its unique ecosystems is of crucial importance to all Danube countries – including Austria. That is why we must work together at all levels to ensure sustainable water management and protect biodiversity,” said Federal Minister Norbert Toching at the launch in Vienna. “Projects like the Joint Danube Study, which is taking place for the fifth time every six years, clearly show how important and effective cross-border partnerships can be. With JDS5, we are implementing the largest surface water monitoring project in the world together with 13 other Danube countries. Over 1000 leading experts from 100 institutions will analyse the Danube at 108 monitoring sites, using modern methods to detect thousands of substances. I am particularly pleased that local school classes are also participating in the study through the citizen science programme – this ensures broad public participation. The excellent knowledge base we are creating with JDS5 is a major contribution to protecting the valuable Danube region for future generations.”

Focus on the Danube

JDS5 is distinguished by its international spirit and scientific rigor. The study will assess water quality, monitor biodiversity using modern methods with environmental DNA (eDNA) and track new threats such as microplastics and pollutants. A key element of JDS5 is the innovative ‘citizen science’ programme, developed in collaboration with the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC). Through it, students and local communities will be actively involved in water monitoring through hands-on sampling activities.

“This is not just a scientific study,” said Birgit Vögel, Executive Secretary of the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR). “This is an invitation to connect with each other – with the people of the Danube Basin and with the future of our shared river. With JDS5, we invite scientists and citizens to “look into the Danube” and explore the stories and hidden science beneath the surface, to better understand the environment and its significance, and to shape the future of the Danube together.”

With over 2800 km of monitored Danube River and additional stations on major tributaries, JDS5 highlights the global importance of the Danube as a river basin that unites the largest number of countries in the world.

ICPDR President Lidia Globevnik emphasized the power of collective action: “JDS5 is an example of the best in transboundary cooperation. Working together, we not only develop science and inform policy, but also encourage public participation, building a riparian community that understands, values, and protects our shared waters.”

Bulgaria’s contribution to JDS5

“Bulgaria has been a member of the ICPDR since its very founding and is proud that the strategic document on which international cooperation for the protection of the Danube is based - the Convention for Cooperation in the Protection and Sustainable Use of the Danube River, was signed in Sofia on 29 June 1994.” – recalled the Deputy Minister of Environment and Water Atanas Kostadinov, who is the country’s representative in the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River. – “The Danube flows through 14 countries, its basin covers an area of 817 000 km², thus connecting tens of millions of people along its length and uniting different languages, cultures, and histories. We particularly appreciate the contribution of the JDS5 program to the exchange of experience and knowledge with other Danube countries.”

To collect up-to-date information on the quality of water in the Bulgarian section of the river, in implementation of the objectives of the JDS5 program, Bulgaria has united the expert potential of several institutions: the Regional Laboratories of the Executive Environment Agency in Montana, Pleven, Ruse, and Veliko Tarnovo; scientists from the Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Studies (IBES) - BAS; scientists from the Plovdiv University “Paisiy Hilendarski”, and experts from the Basin Directorate for Water Management “Danube Region”. Coordination at national level is carried out by the Environment Executive Agency.

The results of the Fifth Joint Study will be directly incorporated into the update of the Danube River Basin Management Plan in 2027, supporting environmental policy decisions at both national and regional levels.

About JDS5:

The Joint Danube Study (JDS) is the largest surface water monitoring initiative in the world. It supports the harmonisation of water quality assessment across the Danube countries in line with the EU Water Framework Directive, which aims to achieve good water status in Europe. JDS5 builds on the previous four surveys (2001, 2007, 2013, and 2019) and is to start on 1 July with 49 core sampling sites in 14 countries.

The main objectives of JDS5, which are also set out in the previous surveys and now further expanded, are:

• Collection of unique data: Collecting information on pollutants and substances that are not routinely monitored in national programmes.
• Harmonisation of water quality information: Ensuring comparability of data across all Danube countries for more effective decision-making and conservation.
• Promoting public participation: Creating opportunities for citizens, students and communities to participate in water conservation through citizen science programmes and digital initiatives.

About the ICPDR:

The International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR) is a supranational body established to implement the Convention for the Protection of the Danube River Basin. Its aim is to ensure sustainable and equitable water management, the conservation of water resources and the protection of aquatic ecosystems in the Danube Basin.

Learn more and follow the news about JDS5 at: www.danubesurvey.org

Media contacts:

Federal Ministry for Agriculture and Forestry, Climate and Environmental Protection, Regions and Water Management of Austria.

Tel.: +43-1-71100-606747 | E-Mail: presse@bmluk.gv.at | www.bmluk.gv.at

Hélène Masliah-Gilkarov

Technical Expert, Public Participation and Communication at the UN ICPDR Secretariat

Tel.: (+43-1) 26060-4373

Mobile: (+43 676) 845 200 220 | E-Mail: helene.masliah-gilkarov@icpdr.org