Renewed collaboration with EASIN
The International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR) organises surveys every 6 years on the whole river basin (Joint Danube Survey-JDS), which are among the most comprehensive surface water monitoring efforts in the world. The surveys results are used to inform the Danube River Basin Management Planning (RBMP).
The Joint Research Centre of the European Commission is an established partner of the ICPDR in the realization of Danube surveys since 2001.
The JDS4, in 2019, sampled sites in 13 countries across the Danube River Basin, producing reliable and comparable information on selected river quality elements, harmonising monitoring procedures, and raising awareness on the quality of the Danube waters, and on ongoing protection and restoration efforts. An important element of JDS4 was the study of the distribution of Alien Species (AS) along the Danube River and its main tributaries.
The JRC “Invasive Alien Species in Europe App” was tested within the JDS4 during a pilot study in the Lower Danube Region. The App was translated in Romanian, Bulgarian and Serbian, adding further AS relevant to the Danube River to those already listed as of Union concern. The results of the survey exercise were reported in a scientific paper.
In 2025, a new survey will be conducted under JDS5, with a planned sampling campaign running from April to September, including the use of e-DNA techniques. The outcomes of the JDS5 should cover the information gaps necessary for the 2027 update of the River Basin Management Plan. JRC EASIN has been invited to collaborate on this new survey, providing scientific support and expertise on Citizen Science applied to AS.
More information will follow on EASIN Social Media and will be available at: https://www.icpdr.org/tasks-topics/topics/water-quality/joint-danube-survey.