New Transnational Climate Adaptation Framework Strengthens Resilience Across the Danube Basin

LONDON - July 24, 2025 - PRLog -- The European Commission and the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR) have today confirmed the expansion of climate adaptation cooperation across Central Europe within the Danube River Basin. This coordinated framework builds on the ICPDR's established Climate Change Adaptation Strategy and incorporates new Horizon Europe and Interreg-funded projects to enhance preparedness for heatwaves, floods, droughts, and ecosystem degradation.

Key elements of the initiative include:

• Strengthened coordination on drought management: ICPDR's Executive Secretary Birgit Vogel recently emphasized the critical need for basin-wide drought planning and early warning systems during a March technical conference in Slovenia.
• Rollout of nature-based solutions: The ARCADIA project—a flagship Horizon Europe program—promotes regional collaboration among eight European regions, including areas along the Danube, to integrate green infrastructure with climate resilience measures.
• Enhanced river monitoring and flood risk management: The European Flood Awareness System (EFAS), operational since the early 2000s, continues evolving within the Danube Basin to harmonize flood forecasting and improve transboundary response.
• Targeted urban and peri‑urban adaptation actions: The Interreg-funded RESTORIVER project is strengthening urban riverside resilience against floods, droughts, and heatwaves through green-blue infrastructure.

These efforts build on the 2018 ICPDR Climate Change Adaptation Strategy, which integrates adaptation across water management and flood risk planning.

This comprehensive framework acknowledges the increasing frequency of climate extremes—such as this summer's record-low Danube water levels and heatwaves in Budapest—and aligns with the EU Adaptation Strategy to build climate resilience by 2050.

A technical coordination summit involving participating member states, EU agencies, researcher networks, and civil society groups is expected later this autumn.