AFP
VIENNA — Ministers from the 14 countries of the Danube basin adopted here Tuesday a plan to clean up and protect the historic river seen by green groups as Europe’s lifeline and the “Amazon of Europe”.
Environmental groups welcomed the plan, but called for additional action against the potentially destructive effects of hydroelectric power stations and man-made changes to the river to make it more navigable for shipping.
“The Danube waters are shared by us all and therefore we also share the responsibility,” said Mitja Bricelj, president of the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR) who hosted the meeting.
“We meet to ensure that the resources of the Danube Basin are managed in an environmentally sustainable manner.”
The Danube is Europe’s second-longest river, running 2,860 kilometres (1,777 miles) from the Black Forest in Germany to the Black Sea in Romania.
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