Danube Day 2025: Moldova reaffirms commitment to protecting river uniting Europe

Today, alongside other Danube countries, Moldova celebrates the International Danube Day, a celebration of regional cooperation for protecting the second-longest river in Europe. Under the theme "Our Danube. Our Future," this year's edition highlights the river's crucial importance in maintaining biodiversity, providing essential resources, and promoting sustainable development.

Celebrated annually since 2004, Danube Day commemorates the signing, in 1994 in Sofia, of the Convention on Cooperation for the Protection and Sustainable Use of the Danube River (DRPC). Subsequently, in 1998, the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR) was established, of which Moldova is a member. It plays an active role in promoting policies to protect the Danube river basin and its tributaries, particularly the Prut River.

During the permanent meeting of the ICPDR held in Slovenia from June 17–18, 2025, Moldova was represented by Iordanca-Rodica Iordanov, the acting president of the Moldova–Romania–Ukraine working group for managing Prut river waters. In the presentation, priorities for 2025–2027 were highlighted, including the development of an integrated management plan for the Prut river basin, flood risk reduction, transboundary water quality monitoring, and strengthening dialogue between the agriculture and navigation sectors.

The Danube River crosses 10 countries and serves approximately 79 million people, representing an ecological, economic, and cultural bond in Europe. Moldova, despite having limited access to the river, plays an important role in conserving the largest left-bank tributary—the Prut River—which traverses a significant part of the national territory.

The Danube flows into the Black Sea through the Danube Delta, one of the most valuable wetland areas in the world. The Delta has been recognized as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve since 1991 and symbolizes natural balance, hosting over 5,000 species of animals and over 2,000 species of plants.

Facts about Danube:


	
It has a length of 2,857 km and a width of up to 1.5 km;
	
It is the second-largest river in Europe, after Volga;
	
It covers about 10% of Europe's continental surface;
	
Six of the world's 26 sturgeon species live in Danube;
	
A river transport ship can replace 93 train wagons or 173 trucks.


Danube Day 2025 underscores the strategic role of cross-border cooperation in water resource protection and the involvement of local communities in the conservation process. For Moldova, Danube and its tributaries remain not just vital sources of water and biodiversity, but also bridges linking with the European family on the path to integration and sustainable development.