Thematic Maps of the Danube River Basin - ICPDR

1. Introduction
The following “Thematic Maps of the Danube River Basin” Report tries to give an overview of a
proposed new sub-division developed for the PRP-Transboundary Analysis. This Report uses
information from the National Reviews, adding socio-economic and ecological information, results
from Water Quality Data and National Planning Reports (1998) and from questionnaires (landuse,
agriculture, population, river characteristics), circulated in February and June 1999.
In a new planning approach, the entire Danube Basin was nationally sub-divided into so-called
“Sub-river Basin Areas”, i.e. aggregated, geographical units of several similar hydrographic parts
(basins of mostly the Danube’s first-order tributaries); these were discussed and agreed at the
National Planning Workshops. There are one to four of such Areas per country and 32 Sub-river
Basin Areas altogether in the Danube basin, as shown on Map 3. This allows an easier approach for
the national assessment of environmental problems and their solutions. A summary text briefly
describes the character of each Sub-river Basin Area (national view), the Annex further gives
comparative charts for each Danube basin country and its Sub-river Basin Areas, regarding the
following socio-economic issues:
� Population Density (excluding the main cities): Map 4
� Land Use: Map 5
� Agriculture (lifestock, fertiliser consumption and production of three main crops):
Maps 6 and 7.
� Hot Spots: Maps 8 and 9
In a second step, these areas were looked at from a transboundary perspective and further
aggregated, resulting in 15 – mostly transboundary - “Sub-River Basins” which were discussed
and agreed at the Transboundary Workshop in Hernstein (Map 2). Objective was to better address
local and national river basin management needs at the Danube basin level; as stipulated i.a. by the
new EU Water Policy Directive (asking for transboundary “river basin districts”). This was
achieved by reducing their number and by connecting transboundary hydrographic regions (e.g.
catchment areas). The text chapter „Sub-River Basins“ briefly describes the new aggregated regions
(basic geographical and typical landscape characteristics, climate, most important economic data
and environmental problems).
The third step was the identification of “Significant Impact Areas” which are most intensively
affected by pollution and which are valuable from an environmental and/or conservation point of
view. This report lists and describes all 51 SIAs. The overlay of Hot Spots, SIAs and Wetlands
(Maps 10 and 11) facilitated the needed selection and ranking of pollution reduction projects within
the PRP.
In a fourth step, Geomorphological Regions (Map 1) and Major Hydraulic Structures of Danube
Basin Rivers (Map 12) were identified.
There are some differences in the information given which should be briefly addressed before:
Especially for the theme “Land Use” (Map 5), the provided data proved to be insufficient to cover
the needed level of Sub-river Basin Areas. Therefore, the data given in this report are based on the
CORINE geographical information system and may vary in a small degree from the national data
given in some of the National Reports or the questionaires.
For Agriculture (see maps 6 and 7), it was agreed with the Danube PCU to concentrate on few
indicators (absolute and relative values for lifestocks and fertiliser consumption, the three main
agricultural products). Due to the difference in detail information, only national data were
compared.