History and results of the hydrological co-operation of the countries sharing the danube catchment (1971-2008)

Abstract

In 1971, the hydrologists of the (at that time) eight Danube Countries launched, on a voluntary basis, a regional co-operative endeavor with the aim of producing consistent hydrological information for the whole Danube Catchment, which has an area of 817,000 km2. Since 1987, this co-operation has been carried out within the framework of the International Hydrological Programme (IHP) of UNESCO, until 2008 co-ordinated by the consecutive IHP National Committees of Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, and Serbia. Herein I briefly describe the history of this co-operation, focusing on its results published in the Hydrological Monograph of the Danube and its Catchment (1986), as well as in the 13 thematic follow-up volumes issued to date. The information included in these publications provides a sound and consistent informational basis for integrated water management, according to the EU Water Framework Directive, embracing the whole Danube Catchment. Finally, a short comparison is also offered with other international regional collaborative hydrological studies (Rhine Monograph, FRIEND). © 2010 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.