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The Danube is Europe's second longest river after the Volga and the longest river in the European Union. It originates in Germany's Black Forest as the much smaller Brigach and Breg rivers, which join at the town of Donaueschingen. From this point, it is known as the Danube, and flows eastward for a distance of 1776 miles (2857 km), passing through several Central and Eastern European capitals before emptying into the Black Sea via the Danube Delta in Romania and Ukraine. Known to history as one of the long-standing frontiers of the Roman Empire, the river flows through—or forms a part of the borders of—ten countries: Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova, and Ukraine. In addition, the drainage basin includes parts of nine more countries: Italy, Poland, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Republic of Macedonia, and Albania. The Danube's Basin drains 315,445.5 square miles (817,000 sq km), making it the most international river in the world. Considered Europe's lifeline, the basin is home to more than 83 million people and diverse and unique habitats supporting a multitude of species of animals and plants, some rare and endangered. Germany’s Black Forest, the Alps, and the Carpathian Mountains are a part of the Danube Basin. Not only does the Danube serve both the human and the natural world in very practical ways, it is in itself a work of art and source of inspiration. Johann Strauss composed the famous Blue Danube Waltz, while German poet Friedrich Holderlin called the Danube "a refreshing, melodious river, sometimes foaming with high spirits, at other times dreaming serenely."

Models for problem analysis, risk and crisis management. Global warming effects.

This is our blogs, everyone can publish opinion,information and data about risk, crisis communications and new technology using for prevention.

Links to important sites and resources in the Europe about water.

Wiki news about Danube

Tsunamis used to catch humans by surprise. With modern technology, preparations can generally be made - except in the tragic case of the world’s worst tsunami in 2004. People the world over have to deal with floods that come from earthquakes, storms, seasonal weather patterns - even global warming. Here are just two stunning examples of the power of floods.

Some elements of crisis management system

5 Most Destructive Storms So hurricanes and tornadoes fall under the cyclone designation, but the term can be used to denote anything in the category that fits the definition. For example, middle-latitude (or midlatitude) cyclones, huge weather systems of varying strengths, are also in this category. Remember, the term "hurricane" is used for a storm that begins east of the international date line. This type of storm is called a typhoon if it's spawned to the west. If you're in the Indian Ocean, you call this same storm a cyclone.

ReliefWeb is the world’s leading on-line gateway to information (documents and maps) on humanitarian emergencies and disasters. An independent vehicle of information, designed specifically to assist the international humanitarian community in effective delivery of emergency assistance, it provides timely, reliable and relevant information as events unfold, while emphasizing the coverage of "forgotten emergencies" at the same time. ReliefWeb was launched in October 1996 and is administered by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/dbc.nsf/doc115?OpenForm&rc=4

The program will consist of developing a Network among countries, supporting the effort for facing risks and disasters. Using the Internet, the Network will provide exchange of information and allow communication between specific groups of people, focusing on risk prevention, preparation, immediate reaction and rehabilitation.

Pan-European flood hazard and risk mapping under current climate and climate change: first experiences and challenges European perspectives

European flood action programme In recent years Europe suffered over 100 major damaging floods, including the catastrophic floods along the Danu be and Elbe rivers in 2002. Since 1998, floods have caused some 700 fatalities, the displacement of about half a million people and at least 25 billion EUR in insured economic losses (European Environment Agency "Mapping the impacts of recent natural disasters and technological accidents in Europe".

The International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR) is a transnational body, which has been established to implement the Danube River Protection Convention. The ICPDR is formally comprised by the Delegations of all Contracting Parties to the Danube River Protection Convention, but has also established a framework for other organisations to join. Today national delegates, representatives from highest ministerial levels, technical experts, and members of the civil society and of the scientific community cooperate in the ICPDR to ensure the sustainable and equitable use of waters in the Danube River Basin. Since its creation in 1998 the ICPDR has effectively promoted policy agreements and the setting of joint priorities and strategies for improving the state of the Danube and its tributaries. This includes improving the tools used to manage environmental issues in the Danube basin, such as

Earth observatory for Danube flooding

The Ministry of Environment and Water of BulgariaThe Government will try to achieve a breakthrough in environmental protection so as to approximate it to the European standards as much as possible. A fundamentally new approach is needed to replace the conservation of the environmental status quo with environmental enhancement. Short-term and long-range steps need to be taken to that effect. Crucial measures will be taken to cope with the water-supply problem and speed up the completion of wastewater treatment plants. Measures will need to be taken against soil erosion (on farmland, woodland and elsewhere) and to prevent landslides and sea abrasion. It is equally important to find a lasting solution to the transboundary air pollution and to the smog in cities by switching over to unleaded petrol and putting restrictions on the import of worn out vehicles; to work out programs to prevent the abuse of plant protectionchemicals; to draft legislation that will not allow to use the country as a disposal pit for imported nuclear and chemical waste; and to offer incentives for investing in power plants that are fired by alternative sources of energy.

The Romanian Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development The Romanian Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Developement promotes a unitary, coherent environmental policy, setting for itself some major targets to achieve: Integration of the environment requirements in the sectorial strategies; Complying with the acquis communautaire for environment: supplying drinking water in all the localities, puryfing waste waters, protecting the population against the dangerous effects of noise, closing the waste storehouses that do not comply with the current requirements, renewing the technology of the central heating systems and increasing the energy efficiency, promoting the renewable sources of energy, and the ecological rehabilitation of the historically polluted areas or coastal erosion.

Thematic maps on the Danube river, Russe, Bulgaria

Romania and Bulgaria - Lower Danube River

Satellite maps Danube river, 2006

Crisis images disasters flooding, 2005

The Map Room is a blog that points to maps, map collections, map-related resources, and material about maps on the web. Anything that fits under that rubric, from medieval mappæ mundi to satellite imagery, and from topo maps to Tolkien, is fair game. Launched in March 2003, The Map Room is aimed at a broad audience. While cartographers and people in the geospatial industry seem to enjoy reading it, it’s meant to be accessible to anyone with nothing more than an interest in maps.

New disasters flood definition Riverine flooding includes: • overflow from river channel or river floods • flash floods • alluvial fan floods • ice-jam floods • dam-break floods There is often no sharp distinction between river floods, flash floods, alluvial fan floods, ice-jam floods, and dam-break floods that occur due to structural failures or overtopping of embankments during flood (or other such as landsliding, rockfalling, etc.) events. Nevertheless, these types of floods are widely recognised and helpful in considering not only the range of flood risk but also appropriate emergency preparedness and responses. In general, the river floods are caused either by rainfall of extra-tropical or frontal character, as experienced in temperate latitudes, or by large tropical atmospheric depressions with moisture-laden winds, moving from a maritime environment onto and across a land mass (for instance, seasonal monsoons in Asia and line squalls on the west coast of Africa). Rainfall in these events is generally widespread and can be heavy. The level of flooding can be high, and is influenced by topographic features.