DC Secretariat & PIANC: From the meeting room to the river
What does cooperation on the Danube look like in practice?
On 8–9 September, the DC Secretariat hosted a meeting of PIANC’s Inland Waterborne Navigation Commission (InCom) in Budapest for the first time, bringing together experts from Belgium, France, China, Spain, Argentina, Brazil, the USA, Germany and other countries. PIANC – the World Association for Waterborne Transport Infrastructure – is a global network of professionals sharing knowledge and developing technical guidance for sustainable waterborne transport infrastructure.
The first day was dedicated to site visits along the Danube. The ÉDUVIZIG (the North Transdanubian Water Management Directorate) hosted participants at the Moson Danube Dam and lock. A representative from the BME (Budapest University of Technology and Economics) presented activities BME has done in the field of side-arm reconnection on the Danube River in the area of Gönyű. Guests had a chance to see the Danube River during the extreme low waters, the Győr-Gönyű public port, the sites of several side-arm reconnection projects, as well as ÉDUVIZIG’s port. The field trip was a chance to see firsthand how the river works, where it faces challenges, and what it takes to address them during the extremely low waters.
On the second day, discussions continued in Budapest. The Director-General of the DC Secretariat, Mr. Seitz, gave an overview of the Danube Commission’s history, structure and current challenges, including the impact of attacks by the Russian army on Ukrainian Danube ports and the resulting consequences for transport and logistics across Europe.
OVF, the National Directorate General for Water Management, also took part in the meeting and presented its structure and work, especially addressing the problems caused by exceptionally low water levels on the Danube River. Ms. Takácsné Tóth (Hungary) noted that the current discharges are almost 50% lower than the low navigable water levels, making them the lowest in history (since the beginning of systematic recordings).
Chaired by Mr. Philippe Rigo (Belgium) and facilitated by Ms. Jasna Muskatirovic (DC Secretariat), the meeting continued with discussions on the agenda, Joint Statement 2.0, as well as increasingly unpredictable water conditions, the impact of climate change, and the practical challenges for navigation and waterway management in different regions of the world.
The DC Secretariat was pleased to host PIANC in Budapest and looks forward to more exchanges and cooperation in the future. As the Director-General highlighted, the Danube Commission has significantly expanded its activities in recent years and, as a knowledge-based organisation, aims to become an even more competent and trusted partner for international organisations, Danube-related companies and other stakeholders.
More about PIANC: https://www.pianc.org/