“Danube WATER Integrated Management”, Romania-Bulgaria Cross-Border Cooperation Programme 2007-2013.

Danube WATER project is financed from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through the Romania-Bulgaria Cross-Border Cooperation Programme.
The total value of the project is 11.03 million euros (Lead partner is the Ministry of Environment, Waters and Forests and the National Administration “APELE ROMANE” is partner 2 with a financing of 5.12 million euros).

The implementation period is 33 months, starting July 2012 and has a number of 13 partners, of which 8 are from Romania. The eligible area consists of seven counties in Romania: Mehedinti, Dolj, Olt, Teleorman, Giurgiu, Calarasi, Constanta and nine districts in Bulgaria: Vidin, Vratsa, Montana, Pleven, Veliko Tarnovo, Ruse, Silistra, Dobrich and Razgrad.

The aim of the project is to establish a common Romanian-Bulgarian system for the management and control of Danube water in extreme conditions, determined by natural and technological disasters.
Among the objectives of the project we find: establishing common methodologies and standards for water monitoring between the two countries, Romania and Bulgaria; organising common databases with interfaces for data exchange and data exchange with the general public, as required by the INSPIRE Directive; endowment with modern equipment, compatible with those in EU countries; modernization and harmonization of quality monitoring and laboratories in the 2 countries; warnings in case of floods, low waters and accidental pollution, for the authorities in the border area; increasing public awareness through information campaigns on environmental protection and management in the cross-border area.

Through this project, a ship was purchased that was equipped with a laboratory with modern equipment for quantitative and qualitative water measurements, sensors were installed for monitoring sections and drillings, as well as equipment for equipping hydrometric stations and laboratories in the common area of the Danube.

Project Benefits Danube WATER consists of: increasing the reaction capacity for risk cases (improving the safety of the population, reducing human and material losses, protecting water resources and the environment, etc.), but also supporting decision makers with real-time data and information, facilitating data exchange at regional level.