Tag Archives: WWF Danube-Carpathian Programme

World Wildlife Fund criticises Hungary over red sludge ‘inaction’

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Sofia Echo

A year after the red mud disaster in Hungary, the World Wildlife Fund has warned that little has been done to prevent further such catastrophes from occurring.

On October 4 2010 more than one million cubic meters of toxic red mud escaped from a broken reservoir at an aluminium plant at Ajka in western Hungary. The highly alkaline and toxic deluge flowed through the villages of Kolontar, Devecser and Somlovasarhely and via the Torna, Marcal and Raba streams and rivers into the Danube. Ten people died, and 150 people were injured by the disaster. The accident destroyed a number of villages and poisoned Danube tributaries. The earth, rivers and plants are still contaminated with heavy metals from the red mud.

“Hungary has let its presidency of the European Union pass without taking any action to defuse further ticking time bombs in Central and Eastern Europe,” said Gabory Figeczky, CEO of WWF Hungary.

WWF called on the European Commission to draw up an action plan to ensure the effective implementation of the EU Mining Waste Directive.

“The EU Directive, which was introduced in 2006, is in principle good, but must now be effectively implemented,” said Figeckzy. “All transition periods for implementation of the Directive will run out by the end of this year and East European countries have no more time to delay implementation.”

“EU tax payers should not be made to pay for mistakes of mining companies and relevant authorities when catastrophes like that at Ajka happen,” said Andreas Beckmann of the WWF Danube-Carpathian Programme.

On the occasion of the anniversary of the Ajka disaster, WWF has published photos and video footage of the disaster area taken from the air. The photos and video footage show that the extent of the disaster is still evident today.

The WWFR highlights the fact that there is still no mandatory insurance system for similar toxic mining waste sites, neither is there an adequate control system for similar dams and facilities in the former Soviet countries of Eastern Europe.

“One year after the catastrophe in Hungary and 10 years after the accidents at Baia Mare and Baia Borsa in Romanai, we still do not have a clear idea how many toxic time bombs are still ticking in Eastern Europe,” warned Beckmann.

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Danube river to be severely impacted by plans to increase navigation

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WWF

Brussels, Belgium – Tomorrow the European Commission will publish plans to increase navigation on the Danube River, as part of their EU Strategy for the Danube Region. However this decision could result in significant negative impacts on the river’s unique environment without bringing the expected economic benefit to the region, WWF warns.

While acknowledging the inclusion of a number of environmental targets, including the protection of Danube sturgeon and improved water quality, WWF criticises the decision to increase navigation on the Danube by removing the so-called bottlenecks, obstacles to navigation during low water level. This usually involves deepening and widening the fairway with the help of old-fashioned and expensive infrastructures.

“Heavy investments in diking and dredging the Danube have been justified by various officials with reference to the Rhine river. But the Rhineland has very different conditions from the Danube area, with an industrial base that has developed over centuries and not just thanks to the river. Expecting an economic miracle from investments in Danube navigation is a myth, and potentially a very costly mistake.” said Andreas Beckmann, Director of the WWF Danube-Carpathian Programme.

The current focus of the proposed strategy on expensive and out-dated approaches to increase navigation risks not only waste money but destroy valuable biodiversity and associated ecosystem services, from flood protection to water purification.

“Solutions for improving inland navigation without changing drastically the nature of the river are available and are less costly in financial as well as ecological terms. We need to invest in innovative ship design that fit the existing depth of the river, better information systems, and nature friendly infrastructure.” added Beckmann.

WWF is calling on Danube countries and on Hungary as next leader of the EU Council to seize the opportunity of the Strategy to bring short and long term benefits to its population by using its enormous natural and cultural assets in a sustainable way.

For further information:
Stefania Campogianni, Media and Communication Officer, WWF European Policy Office, tel: +32 2 743 88 15, mob. +32 (0)499 539736, email: [email protected]

Andreas Beckmann, Director, WWF Danube-Carpathian Programme, mob: +43 676 84 27 28 216, email:[email protected]

Irene Lucius, Head of Policy, WWF Danube-Carpathian Programme, mob: +43 676 84 27 28215, email:[email protected]

Sergey Moroz, Freshwater Policy Officer, WWF European Policy Office, mob: +32 499 539734, email:[email protected]

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EU Danube Strategy to promote basin-wide development

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WWF

WWF welcomes the EU’s initiative to develop a Danube Strategy, which can help bring together and implement existing policies and legislation to achieve long-term sustainable development across the Danube basin.

Development of the Strategy comes at a time when the Danube region faces a series of unprecedented crises: financial, economic and — even more ominously — from climate change and loss of biodiversity and related ecosystem services.

“The EU Danube Strategy presents an opportunity for the countries of the Danube region to get ahead of the development curve — to pull themselves together and put themselves on a path toward a long-term and prosperous future, including a green, carbon-free and resource-efficient economy,” said Andreas Beckmann, director of the WWF Danube-Carpathian Programme.

Baltic inspiration

The initiative has been inspired by the Baltic Strategy, which was officially adopted last year and is now focusing efforts of Baltic countries from Sweden to Estonia to address issues including marine pollution and transportation.

A five-month public consultation process for the Danube Strategy got under way on February 2 with a kick-off conference that took place in Ulm in Germany. Follow-up events are planned to take place through June in Budapest, Vienna, Ruse (Bulgaria) and Constanta (Romania), providing input for a draft to be developed by the European Commission in the summer that is expected to be officially adopted under the Hungarian EU Presidency in spring 2011.

WWF has published a discussion paper related to the Danube Strategy; an official position will follow in early April.

European Commission officials have been clear that the Strategy will bring no new funding, no new legislation and no new institutions – i.e. it can thus only focus and coordinate efforts on issues of common interest to countries in the Danube basin. Nevertheless, the Strategy can influence the allocation of existing funds, and shape priorities for the EU’s next financial period, 2014-21.

Danube basin

The Danube is the most international river basin in the world, including all or parts of the territories of 19 countries and home to some 83 million people. The region includes some of the economically poorest and richest countries in Europe, as well as a major portion of the continent’s natural wealth.

The key challenge and opportunity for the future of the Danube basin is to find ways to enhance livelihoods while preserving and even enhancing the ecosystems that provide essential goods and services for people and nature – and addressing through this significant differences in socioeconomic development between countries such as Austria and Germany on the one hand, and Bulgaria and Romania on the other.

The EU and Danube countries already have most if not all of the tools they need to achieve this objective, from progressive legislation such as the EU Water Framework Directive to funding programmes that in theory can provide financing for investments in a green economy, including investments in e.g. wetland restoration or nature conservation.

The problem in most cases has been putting what is required or possible on paper into actual practice. The Danube Strategy may help in focusing and integrating efforts to implement relevant policies, both across sectors and national borders, and including with those Danube countries like Ukraine or Serbia that are not presently members of the Union. It can also help address specific environmental challenges, including nutrient pollution, e.g. from agriculture and household detergents; networking protected areas; or promoting energy efficiency.

In addition, the Strategy can also complement and build on existing initiatives and achievements, including the Carpathian Convention and the recently adopted Danube River Basin Management Plan – the first comprehensive, cross-sectoral plan for the region, which has been developed and adopted by all countries in the Danube river basin, including both EU and non-EU member states.

Déjà vu?

But the Danube Strategy may have gotten off on the wrong foot in terms of addressing the key challenge of integrating environment and development.

In its current form, the Strategy envisions three pillars, including environment, socio-economic development and connectivity, especially related to transport and energy. The approach risks repeating the present major challenge of treating the issues separately and in isolation — an approach that has many efforts working at cross-purposes, e.g. on the lower Danube, where current approaches to developing navigation risk unnecessarily cutting sturgeon migration routes, possibly pushing the ancient Danube species to extinction.

Interventions planned through the Danube Strategy must maintain and enhance the region’s natural and social capital as the foundations for long-term development in the region.

“The unprecedented crises that we are facing are ample proof that business as usual is simply not an option”, Beckmann said. “We need a paradigm shift, and with a bit of imagination and courage, the Danube Strategy can provide this by painting and helping to realise a bold and long-term vision for sustainable development in the region.”

Contact:
Irene Lucius, Senior Policy Coordinator, WWF-DCPO

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