Eastern and Western, NATO partner and member country specialists discuss
recent accomplishments in the sharing of timely, accurate data and
information to protect the water resources of the Danube Basin, a
strategic region shared by two Western and 11 former Communist
countries. An International Commission, continuing the work of an ad
hoc environmental management programme, is expected to take over in
1997 and may well adopt the recommendations of this timely workshop.
These recommendations include the establishment of a central source of
water quality data and information on levels of pollution, government
standards and their enforcement, NGO environmental groups, and other
programmes and policies.
The editor, Dr. Irene Lyons Murphy, received support from the United
States Institute of Peace during 1995- a study of the cooperative
management of Danube River resources which began with the end of the
Cold War. It analyzes the development and ratification of the Danube
River Protection Convention and other aspects of joint pro-environment
activities from 1991 to 1996. Its title The Danube: A River Basin in
Transition is to be published in early 1997.
Users, investors in new and/or joint business ventures, national and
international governments, research scientists, the media, NGOs and the
general public will be served on the Internet and through the
distribution of CD-ROM and diskettes.