Environment and international water management: Dealing with the problems of the Danube Delta

The Danube Delta lies between the Danube River and the western coast of the Black Sea. Its environmental condition is disturbing and complex. The many factors that contribute to the delta's deterioration are intricately intertwined with the rest of the Danube, producing a range of problems and competing interests. The degradation of the delta highlights the need for cooperative management and equitable sharing, and its suggests that riparian nations must look beyond their borders to manage this resource effectively. The first two sections of this article review the Danube Delta's water quality, the underlying causes of its deterioration and the regional environmental measures currently in place to address the problem. The next section considers problems faced by Romania and Ukraine and looks at the obstacles to greater regional cooperation and implementation. The final two sections identify possible ways of overcoming the obstacles to greater regional cooperation, first through building on existing initiatives and second through developing new forms of multilateral cooperation. The stage for all this is set with a review of the geography and ecosystem of the Danube River basin.