Danube is one of the top ten rivers in the world that are drying out, threatening severe water shortages, according to a new report of the World Wildlife Fund, quoted by BTA. The report, World's Top Rivers at Risk, released ahead of World Water Day (22 March), lists the top ten rivers that are fast dying as a result of climate change, pollution and dams.

The most multinational river basin in the world, the Danube basin is roughly twice the size of California and its area covers part or all of 19 riparian countries: Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Macedonia, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Montenegro, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland and Ukraine.

The river is a principle resource for industry, agriculture, transport and power generation. The Danube delta supports both fishing and tourism. Approximately 60 of its 300 tributaries are navigable including the Inn, Morava, Drava, Tisza, Sava and Prut. It is home to 47 cities, and passes through four national
capitals: Vienna (Austria), Bratislava (Slovakia), Budapest (Hungary), and Belgrade (Serbia), the report says.

Navigation infrastructure projects pose a serious threat to the Danube. A new report by a Vienna-based consortium and 13 Danube countries identifies navigation as one of the primary causes of environmental degradation on the Danube, stemming from activities that deepen, dam, or straighten the river.

The most important navigation threat to the Danube currently is the European Union's plan to develop the Trans-European Networks for Transport (TEN-T) "Corridor VII" along the Danube. This project aims to "remove bottlenecks" and improve inland navigation between eastern and western Europe through the construction of hydraulic modifications and canals.

TEN-T would remove navigation "bottlenecks" in Romania and Bulgaria by 2011, complete Danube River "improvement" between Vilshofen and Straubing (in Germany) by 2013, and by 2014 and 2015 respectively affect the river from Palkovicovo to Mohacs as well as the cross-border section from Vienna to Bratislava, the report states further.

According to plans, the Danube will serve as a pan-European transport route linking the North Sea with the Black Sea. Implementing this project would mean substantial modifications to at least 1,000 km of the Danube, more than one-third of its entire length, and significantly alter the last free-flowing, non-dammed stretches of the river.

Drastic changes to the Danube's natural flow and surrounding lands to control floods, generate power, facilitate agriculture and waterway transport have already destroyed over 80% of the watershed's valuable wetlands, floodplains and forests. What remains of the basin's integrity is under intense threat from shipping infrastructure developments.

Meanwhile, the WWF has also begun a public consultation process for the restoration of the river beds of the Danube tributaries in Bulgaria.